Gov Otu declares Tinapa ‘reborn’ as Cross River retakes iconic resort from AMCON

Governor Bassey Otu has hailed the return of the Tinapa Business Resort to Cross River State as a major economic milestone, describing the recovery of the facility from the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) as the restoration of a landmark investment vision that once defined the state’s global profile.

Speaking at the official handover in Calabar, Otu said the resort’s reclamation marks “a victory of resilience and determination” after more than a decade of stalled operations and uncertainty.

“Tinapa’s return is not just an administrative event; it is a rebirth,” the governor said. “It represents the triumph of faith and patience – a battle fought and won for the good of every Cross Riverian.”

First commissioned in 2007 under former Governor Donald Duke as a pioneering trade, tourism and leisure hub with Free Trade Zone status, Tinapa ran into financial difficulties and was taken over by AMCON in 2011. The governor said the original vision remains valid, and his administration is committed to bringing it fully back to life.

“We are not restoring Tinapa as an abandoned monument of lost ambition,” Otu said. “We are reactivating it as a living symbol of our future – a centre for commerce, creativity and job creation.”

He said discussions are already underway with credible private-sector partners to reposition the resort under a transparent management and investment framework capable of driving sustainable economic activity.

Otu praised past leaders who conceived the project, current officials who negotiated its return, and stakeholders who supported the process, calling the outcome a “collective victory.”

“Tinapa is once again ours, and under our watch, it will flourish,” the governor declared.

Commissioner for Finance, Dr. Mike Odere, said the handover restores what many believed was permanently lost, while AMCON Executive Director, Shola Lamide, acknowledged that the corporation struggled to attract investors during its stewardship and welcomed the resort’s return to state control.

The government says the next phase involves aggressive redevelopment and investor mobilisation to turn Tinapa into a regional driver of economic growth.