Why we concession Presidential Hotel, others – Enugu Commissioner

The Enugu State Government says it will concession the Presidential Hotel, Nike Lake Resort, and the International Conference Centre Five Star Hotel for effective management and promotion of tourism in the state.

The State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Dame Ugochi Madueke, revealed this during a media chat with the newsmen on Monday in Enugu.

Supreme News reports that the state government awarded the contract for the five-star hotel to China Communication and Construction Company on May 14, while major renovation work is ongoing at the Presidential Hotel.

She said the hotels would be funded by private investors while the international hotels like Hilton, Marriott, Raddison Blue would take over the management of the hotels.

According to Madueke, the concession became necessary as only the state could not manage and maintain them. Discussions are ongoing with the International hotels to invest in them.

She explained that the Presidential Hotel which had 100 rooms would be revamped and the five Star Hotel with 380-room would be constructed to improve and enrich tourism space.

“People have been asking what the state government is doing with a five star hotel but they forget that we don’t have such hotel in Enugu.

“Enugu is the capital of Igboland and whatever Mbah is doing is not only for Enugu people but projecting Enugu as the capital of the Southeast.

“We want the state to regain its space and pride, as the dire need for a five-star hotel in an international conference centre can never be overemphasised,” she said.

She explained that the absence of a five-star hotel in the state was greatly responsible for the paucity of international flights into Enugu and the inability of the state to host money-spinning conferences.

“We have an international conference centre and an international airport, but if we don’t have a hotel that can accommodate tourists, where are we going to keep them?” she asked.