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… Releases 790 hectares of land to La Campagn/Motherland Beckons

Taraba State Governor Dr Agbu Kefas has signaled a new dawn for tourism development and promotion in the state as he turned his attention to the sector, partnering with the Founder and President of La Campagne Tropicana Beach Resort and Motherland Beckons, Otunba Wanle Akinboboye, to transform the tourism landscape of the state.

This vision will see the construction of five new tourist attractions, with work commenced already on two sites. One hundred million tourists is projected for five years while Akinboboye is leading a team of engineers and experts from Trinidad and Tobago to work on the project sites.

Besides, the state government has also released 790 hectares of land to La Campagne/Motherland Beckons as part of his bold move to transform the latent potential of the state into an economic haven for the people, who despite the avalanche of natural resources abounding in the land, suffer massive economic deprivation, especially in reaping from tourism windfall following the failures of previous governments.

To this end, Akinboboye and his team were recently hosted by kefas, who is now seen as the new governor championing tourism development in Nigeria, in Jalingo, where among others they had a brain storming session and toured some of the designated locations for the resort projects.

Speaking on this renewed and concerted efforts by Kefas to write his name in gold by embarking on this arduous journey of transforming Taraba into an enviable tourist destination, the Commissioner for Heritage and Eco-Tourism, Rev. Titus Joseph Nagombe, gave details of the project, noting that it is part of the strategic blueprint of the governor to put Taraba on the global map.

According to him, ‘‘the project marks a new chapter in tourism and in economic revitalisation in Taraba State. One that brings us closer to our vision of making Taraba a model of sustainable heritage and eco-tourism in Nigeria and indeed Africa.

‘‘I am pleased to announce to you that La Campagne Tropicana Beach Resort, a global renowned African theme resort brand, has commence bulldozing and preparatory construction work for two world class eco-resorts in Taraba State.

‘‘The first phase in Ibi and Mayo-Ranewo, Ardo Kola Local Government Area. This project is not just another investment but a boost towards transforming Taraba State into a top tier destination for agro-tourism and eco-tourism.

‘‘These resorts will offer an immersive Africa cultural experience that speaks directly to the heart of our identity, designed to replicate and celebrate the culture, architecture, cohesion and the life style of the host communities.

‘‘The eco-resort is of international standard and blended with Africa originality, to train local farmers in modern mechanization farming techniques, to empower initiative that will assure food production, to alleviate and sustain host communities.

‘‘The resort will serve as a cultural homecoming for Africans in the Diaspora and a source of pride for all Tarabians.’’

He further underscored the seriousness that the governor attached to it, noting, ‘‘in a testament to the seriousness and scale of this project, we are glad to inform you that engineers and tourism development experts from Africa and many different countries, will be on ground with us here.

‘‘Let me be clear that this is not an isolated effort but that the commencement of this project is a direct resolve and deliberate effort of Taraba State government under the leadership of Dr Agbu Kefas to attract sustainable investment into the state.

Our policy reform, infrastructure, developmental peace building and targeted investors’ engagements are now yielding irreversible results to our state today.’’

He also disclosed that the project is geared to meet the mandate of his Ministry, saying, ‘‘under the Ministry of Heritage and Eco-tourism, we have met the priority to identify, protect and promote Taraba rich cultural and ecological assets.

‘‘Our partnership with La Campagne, a brand that has successfully operated resorts across Nigeria and Africa for over 41 years, with a reputation for promoting tourism and heritage, is part of our broader strategy to preserve our culture while generating income and employment for our people.

‘‘We are proud to say that Taraba is becoming a preferred destination for investment not just in eco-tourism but in agro-business, tourism, culture, hospitality and others.

This resorts will put Taraba on the global tourism map, provide platform for showcasing our art and history and stimulate a regional tourism economy that include craft, tour guides, transport services, marketers and many more.’’

Meanwhile, Akinboboye has expressed excitement over the project, commending Kefas for the bold move in what he described as taking advantage of your advantage. This is as he spoke on exploring the various possibilities in Taraba to transform the state into a world class tourist destination of note.

‘‘I must tell you that first of all, I was very excited to come to Taraba, but I wasn’t too sure of what I was coming to see. But when I got to Taraba I was shocked at the level of possibilities in the over 54, 000 square kilometers of area, the second largest landmass in Nigeria,’’ he disclosed.

Adding, ‘‘I was particularly excited about the possibilities of eco-tourism, the possibilities of heritage and I am sure that a lot of you might not be mindful of the fact that the governor in his wisdom decided to create the Ministry of Heritage and Eco-Tourism.

‘‘I hope you know that you are the first Ministry of Heritage and Eco-Tourism in Nigeria and in Africa because I have never heard of the Ministry of Heritage and Eco-Tourism before.

‘‘It shows basically that he is a governor that understands that when you want to have an advantage you take advantage of your advantage.

‘‘The advantage of Taraba is eco-tourism, with over 54, 000 square kilometers of area. The advantage of Taraba is heritage and we believe very strongly that nowhere in the world, nowhere in the continent of Africa, will be able to compete with Taraba.

‘‘When you look at the Mambila Plateau, you visit Gashaka Gumti and Ibi, the biggest challenge that I had when I came on board was where and how do I start?

‘‘Because even from Jalingo, the possibilities are endless and on the way from Jalingo, to Ibi to Nwonyo Lake where we are going to be building a lake resort, you find that both right and left, are all manners of hills.

‘‘You see a confluence of hills and when I drive and look around, I coin it as a place where hills came many, many years ago to have a conference and refused to leave, as you see a confluence of hills.’’

That initial challenge, he noted has been overcome, as he disclosed, ‘‘but I have been able to overcome that challenge realising that when trees fall on trees you take the topmost first and we want to make it comfortable and easy for a lot of our tourists.

‘‘When they land in Jalingo and before they take four to five hours drive to Ibi, let them get a taste of the heritage, 20 minutes away from Jalingo, at the snake-like hills, we are building a whole city on the hills (Zongo Kombo).’’