The contract for the revamping of the moribund Hotel Presidential, Enugu, has been awarded, the state government announced Sunday.
This was part of the resolution of the State Executive Council after its meeting weekend.
The Commissioner for Information and Communication, Mr Aka Eze Aka, and his Culture and Tourism counterpart, Mrs Dame Ugochi Madueke, said the move was in line with Governor Peter Mbah’s promise to convert all dormant assets in the state to productive assets.
Aside the hotel, the Council also announced that plans were underway for the resuscitation of the state-owned Nigergas Company Limited sequel to a memo by the Enugu State Investment Development Authority.
According to Dame Madueke, revamping the Presidential Hotel would not only put Enugu State in the world map as the premier destination for investment, tourism and hospitality, but would also create jobs for the teeming youths in the state.
She said, “The hotel has been abandoned and had gone moribund over the past years. However, bringing it back to life will not only put our state on the world map again, it will equally create economic value-chain, market, tourism and employment for our youths.”
Our correspondent reports that Hotel Presidential was built by the administration of the late Premier of the defunct Eastern Region, Dr Michael Okpara, and opened in 1963. It ran as a prestigious hotel until it became moribund decades after.
Speaking on the Nigergas Company Limited, Mr Aka said the present administration was focused on reviving all moribund industries to create economy of scale for the state, and lead to the state selling its products beyond the East of the Niger.
He said the approval for the revamp of the comatose company was based on assessments of many commercial proposals and models presented to the state, establishing a compelling business case and profitability.