OYETUNJI ABIOYE

Last week, some investors from United Kingdom, in partnership with the Delta State Government, announced plans to build a $250m theme and resort park, the first in West Africa. OYETUNJI ABIOYE examines the feasibility of the project


Architectural model of the proposed DeltaLeisure Theme and Resort Park

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International travel experts say that theme park serves as a catalyst for the development of major cities in the world. According to them, United States' big cities like Orlando, Florida and Miami were developed through theme parks.

This is believed to be the reason the Delta State Government warmly embraces plans by some UK investors to build a $250m theme and resort park in the state, the first of its kind in West Africa.

The theme park, according to the foreign promoters, will come closely behind the famous Sun City Theme and Resort Park in South Africa.

The theme park, which will be sited in two locations in Delta, according to the UK resort firm, Sarner International, will be named DeltaLeisure Theme and Resort Park.

On one location is the theme park, and on the other second location is the wild life, which will look more like a safari.

Being patterned after other major parks like the famous Disney World in Europe, United States and Asia, the planned resort in Nigeria is being prepared as a global brand for tourists from all walks of life.

The proposed glamorous park will contain a five-star hotel, amusement park facilities, a plethora of entertainment systems and platforms, and special sections for all continents of the world, which the promoters say will be named differently as African, European, American and Asian villages.

According to the promoters, European, Americans and other foreigners are being targeted for the park. This is why they say that the new Asaba Airport, which is being proposed as an international airport, will enable the foreign visitors to fly in directly from all parts of the world.

Local experts say that the dream will help stem the tide of capital flight in the country as most Nigerians who spend millions in theme parks abroad during vacations may choose to go to the proposed DeltaLeisure Theme and Resort Park.

The park is also expected to bring in huge foreign exchange.

But local experts and stakeholders are not sure if the park dream will be achieved.

The announcement came after several attempts at building the West Africa's first theme and resort park in Nigeria had failed in some states.

They expressed doubt that the planned DeltaLeisure Theme and Resort Park will not go the same way.

According to them, such previous huge tourism projects threw up a lot of lofty promises but everything later failed.

Specifically, they recalled that some states like Imo, Lagos and Ondo had come up with such gigantic plans before but later failed to implement them.

While Imo under Governor Ikedi Ohakim had planned a wonder land, Ondo also contemplated a sort of tourism centre to be named after the Sunshine State.

Lagos State was to host the West Africa's first theme park in Lekki in the early 1990's. The park, which was to be called the Wonder Land and Happy Land, was to be built by some American travel and tourism firms in partnership with the Lagos State Government and some local firms.

After some major progress had been made, the project could not be executed as the state government later revoked the certificate of occupancy of the proposed theme park.

However, a tourism expert and the Managing Director, African Travel Quarterly, Mr. Ikechi Uko, expressed hope that the planned DeltaLeisure Theme and Resort Park would be a reality.

According to him, the UK promoters of the park look serious and that the Delta State Government has shown commitment towards making the project a reality.

"Why I think this project looks better is that the park is being built by foreign investors from the United Kingdom; Delta is only providing the land and the enabling environment. With such arrangement, I think the thing may work," he said.

Uko also said he wanted the project to be achieved because it would create more employments, and speed up the rate of development of the area.

Sarner said that the $250m facility, which would be built on 300 acres of land, would offer at least 6,000 direct employments.

On the viability of the project, Uko, who is also the Coordinator of the Seven Wonders of Nigeria tourism project, said if they could build it and get the marketing to the global community right, the project would break the jinx of having successful tourism projects in the country.

According to the promoters, the park will also contain waterfalls, culture zones and golf course zones, with resort and commercial zones. It will also have a cinema complex, shopping arcade and a shopping village, with business centres.

It will have a picnic area, adventure climbing, light and sound show arena, a tea house, gardens of the world and children's interactive centres, with water park and sports club.

Construction will begin immediately and the park is expected to be completed in the last quarter of 2013. The Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, said that it would be opened in April 2014.

All balls seem to be rolling in the kick off stage. Hope all this development talk are made manifest.

^^^

have you ever been to a theme park?
was it filled with goats and donkeys?

team park filled up with goats, cows and donkeys? HELL NOOO

well, since the oil companies are on retreat, expat are in well fortified concentration camp, kidnappers are now running out of victims, someone is smart enof to bring a park to lure foreign tourist to DELTA state in nigerdelta. goodluck to all.

That is a welcome development,hopefully the theme park becomes a reality.It will be nice for Nigerians,i hope they also build affordable motels around the park where average Nigerians can afford to stay when they are visiting the park.It will be pointless if they create the park and make unbearably expensive like everything else in Nigeria.

Mr, Cork:

team park filled up with goats, cows and donkeys?  HELL NOOO!!

What are you insinuating ,are you saying Nigerians will slaugther the animals and use them to make egusi soup  

On a serious note though ,i think the major concern should be security due the militants in ND.If adequate security is not provided the theme park will become a buffet for kidnappings.

may it see the light of the day within the time frame

Great idea, wrong location!!

The proposed theme park. We look forward to its completion next year.

@Ahmed why wrong location? Have you ever been to ASaba to see how rapid its developing?

That wud be gr8 if ND Millitants wil not turn it to hotspot for kidnapping.

I hope this is not another wild goose chase project to siphone public funds

You are right OKukk, this governor will join his brother Ibori when he is done. Set of thieves

After the IBORI saga, one can only ask; CAN ANYTHING GOOD COME OUT OF DELTA STATE? only time will tell.

May I ask, who are these foriegn investors? Who are the real owners? How sure are we that it is not Delta State money that is being returned through these so called foriegn investors?

Anyway, it would be a good development for Delta if the project is completed in record time. Other states close by will also benefit fromnthe project when it is finally completed.

By the way, any updates on ASABA airport tht has gulped nearly 40bn naira?

If I had a nickle for every of such posts I've heard or read about, I'd be competing with Jimoh Ibrahim now!

Ahmedo74:

Great idea, wrong location!!

The ND is a very beautiful place, just waiting for investment:

is a theme park really necessary in a country where the average citizen does not even live in decent accommodation, or have access to constant electricity and water supply? how about the nigerian govt for once getting their priorities in order?

Why are nigerians always trying to sprint before they have learnt how to crawl?

by the way isnt this theme park going to need constant supply of electricity? where is that going to come from?

cap28:

is a theme park really necessary in a country where the average citizen does not even live in decent accommodation, or have access to constant electricity and water supply? how about the nigerian govt for once getting their priorities in order?

Why are nigerians always trying to sprint before they have learnt how to crawl?

by the way isnt this theme park going to need constant supply of electricity? where is that going to come from?

A theme park will tourism related industries and massive create employment opportunities. Those little things will create "decent accommodation, or have access to constant electricity and water supply" etc.

Beaf:

The ND is a very beautiful place, just waiting for investment:

That is the only thing you and i will ever agree on.I love the delta because of its similar topography to miami.Instead of oil gushing from under the seabed and spoiling the environment,the delta should be home to exquisite multi million dollar estates that will bring in huge foreign as well as local investment in terms of property acquisition & trading,casinos ,theme park,malls e.t.c


Beaf is that waterfall going to be man made? It looks huge and will cost a lot of money to build such high wall with mined rocks.


P.S Why call it "The Delta Theme Park" ? Why not just "Delta Theme Park" ,no need for the "THE".

playmode:

That is the only thing you and i will ever agree on.I love the delta because of its similar topography to miami.Instead of oil gushing from under the seabed and spoiling the environment,the delta should be home to exquisite multi Dillon dollar estates that will bring huge foreign as well as local investment in terms of property acquisition & trading,casinos ,theme park,malls e.t.c


Beaf is that waterfall going to be man made? It looks huge and will cost a lot of money to build such high wall with mined rocks.


P.S Why call it "The Delta Theme Park" ? Why not just "Delta Theme Park" ,no need for the "THE".

Lol! We can't disagree on everything nau!

For the past one year, I've been thinking seriously about investing in coastlines of both Delta and Bayelsa, but have always been stuck on the accessibility problem; there are simply no roads and the river banks are polluted (and not for the faint of heart ), but with construction of the theme park kicking off, it should be fairly easy to swing govts attention to removing any impediments to the theme parks success. Those impediments just happen to merge with impediments to private enterprise in tourism, so its all good; everyone should really be thinking of investments in the area.

Dude, there is a killing to be made! So many opportunities (some I won't mention, lol!), from boat cruises up the newly dredged Niger, to visits to the old slaving routes down the Niger tributaries through Escravos (South of Warri) in Delta and Brass in Bayelsa.
Even beyond the Niger River, sea routes could be opened between Badagry, Escravos, Brass and Bonny. In that way, Nigeria could easily outdo Ghana's Cape Coast and attract Black Americans to visit, settle and invest.

Boat regatta:

Waste of time and money; it will go down the drain like Obudu. As long as bad roads, poverty and insecurity (armed robbers, millitants, etc.) remain an issue tourism will not be lucrative for us. fact.

One can only imagine the amount the developers will have to pay for "compensating" the indigenes of the area. This is something that many companies/investors don't factor into their plans when embarking on projects of this nature in the ND and it can easily stall or delay the project's execution.

Bawss1:

One can only imagine the amount the developers will have to pay for "compensating" the indigenes of the area. This is something that many companies/investors don't factor into their plans when embarking on projects of this nature in the ND and it can easily stall or delay the project's execution.

They aren't oil companies that destroy life and livelihoods, so why your comment? In any event, the struggle in the creeks has abated, because the area is finally getting the attention it deserves. Its not pillaging and ra'pe as in the past, these days when soldiers go in and destroy places, they are promptly rebuilt and the people given soccour. For once, the ND person feels like a Nigerian, not something the rest of the country spits on while the wealth of the land is tapped.

We should be measured in how we describe the Niger Delta. Its funny how most Nigerians are callous about it, but foreigners view it as a disgraceful human rights disaster; indeed, Hilary Clinton recently said the the Niger Delta is colonised by the rest of Nigeria. Do you know the ND is the Worlds most polluted wet lands?

This excerpt is from the Huffington Post:

Indeed, a half century of oil exploration -- and, experts say, exploitation -- has earned the Niger Delta a dubious distinction: Environmentalists call it the most polluted ecosystem on Earth. . .

Members of the Nigerian Justice League said their prank, timed to coincide with Shell's annual general meeting in the Hague, was meant to shine a light on Big Oil's role in damaging the Niger Delta region -- and triggering an increasingly violent atmosphere on the ground.

"Shell's operations in the delta have helped transform that area into the world's most polluted ecosystem, which has in turn resulted in a human rights catastrophe," said Christopher Francis, one of the Nigerian Justice League organizers.
. . .

http://www.aolnews.com/2010/05/23/nigerian-spills-make-valdez-look-like-drop-in-bucket/

Here's an excerpt from CNN article that should interest you (you can watch a vid if you click the link):

Niger Delta, Nigeria (CNN) -- Nigeria's Niger Delta is one of the most oil-polluted places on the planet with more than 6,800 recorded oil spills, accounting for anywhere from 9 million to 13 million barrels of oil spilled, according to activist groups.

But occurring over the 50 years since oil production began in the Delta, this environmental disaster has never received the attention that is now being paid to the oil-spill catastrophe hitting the U.S. Gulf coast.

"The whole world is trembling and even the president of America had to do a personal visit to the site. The U.S. will have put serious measures in place to stop such situations happening in the future," said Ken Tebe -- a local environmental activist who is visibly shaken by what he regards as a double standard.

"It's funny because we've been dealing with this problem for 50 years. I even heard BP will pay $20 billion in damages (for the U.S. spill). When will such hope come to the Niger Delta?" Tebe asked.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/africa/06/29/nigeria.oil/index.html

If the park is being built by foreign investors, and I believe foreign hands, what is the Challenge faced by Nigeria in this?

May the almighty God make this project possible!!!! AMEN!!! Can't wait!!!

To the perssimist, Turkey used resorts and tropical weather to attract over 20 million tourist every year.

Beaf:

They aren't oil companies that destroy life and livelihoods, so why your comment? In any event, the struggle in the creeks has abated, because the area is finally getting the attention it deserves. Its not pillaging and ra'pe as in the past, these days when soldiers go in and destroy places, they are promptly rebuilt and the people given soccour. For once, the ND person feels like a Nigerian, not something the rest of the country spits on while the wealth of the land is tapped.

We should be measured in how we describe the Niger Delta. Its funny how most Nigerians are callous about it, but foreigners view it as a disgraceful human rights disaster; indeed, Hilary Clinton recently said the the Niger Delta is colonised by the rest of Nigeria. Do you know the ND is the Worlds most polluted wet lands?

This excerpt is from the Huffington Post:

http://www.aolnews.com/2010/05/23/nigerian-spills-make-valdez-look-like-drop-in-bucket/

Here's an excerpt from CNN article that should interest you (you can watch a vid if you click the link):

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/africa/06/29/nigeria.oil/index.html

So when do we start buying tickets ? I will take two "adult" tickets and 3 "child" tickets. Also any news on affordable accomodation.I can't afford 5 star hotel O!

They must consider us the average joes because affordable accommodation will be key to the success of the park.

Most importantly they must get their advertising strategy right to attract a lot of tourists.

I don't buy this! This is simply a money laundering scheme where public funds are laundered to Western Banks (US, UK) and then brought back into the country as "foreign investment". This has been the modus operandi of many Nigerian governors.

Many so-called Public private Partnerships between state governments and "foreign investors" in Nigeria employ this tactic. In many cases, the governors themselves are the surreptitious investors using stolen funds now cleaned up as legitimate. Examples abound. Nigerians should not be hoodwinked

"Foreign investors" investing 250 million dollars in Delta state tourism, tell that to the birds!

kalokalo:

I don't buy this! This is simply a money laundering scheme where public funds are laundered to Western Banks (US, UK) and then brought back into the country as "foreign investment". This has been the modus operandi of many Nigerian governors.

Many so-called Public private Partnerships between state governments and "foreign investors" in Nigeria employ this tactic. In many cases, the governors themselves are the surreptitious investors using stolen funds now cleaned up as legitimate. Examples abound. Nigerians should not be hoodwinked

"Foreign investors" investing 250 million dollars in Delta state tourism, tell that to the birds!

You are right but sometimes we need to see the outcome of big projects and possibly hope it works out well.