LarryBravo Nwaiwu, Enugu

*_Inspects ongoing work at 5,000-capacity Intl Conference Centre_

Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, at the weekend, performed the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the five-star International Conference Centre Hotel in Enugu.

This was even as he embarked on an inspection tour of the long -abandoned 5,000-capacity Enugu International Conference Centre, which his administration is currently completing and upgrading to modern standards.

Mbah said the five-star facility, which he described as an investment enabler, was in line with his administration’s vision to make Enugu the preferred destination for investment, business, investment, tourism, and leisure, and to grow the state’s economy from $4.4bn to $30bn in four to eight years.

He said his dream was to make Enugu the conferencing headquarters of Africa.

“What we are witnessing here today is just connecting the dots. Recall that we said to Ndi Enugu that our mission is to make Enugu state the premier destination for business, investment, tourism, living, and leisure. We know that there are key enablers if you truly want to make your state the number one destination for tourism. We know also that in order for the International Conference Centre to be attractive, there are also key enablers.

“You cannot be talking about using your 5,000-capacity conference centre optimally without having enough keys. Anybody coming to host a conference of 5,000 participants, the first question is where are the keys. At least, they would like to see a minimum of 10,000 keys because as they are coming, they are probably coming with their family, friends, and all that.

“Again, if we are also looking at attracting three million guests as tourists annually, beyond the international airport that we hope to operationalise very soon, the next question even for the airlines that will be operating here is a five-star hotel where they can accommodate their crews.

“So, this is why I said that we are connecting the dots, making sure that we have all the key enablers to be able to realise our goals, both in the area of making Enugu the destination for tourism and also making Enugu the capital for conferencing in Africa. So, when you talk about a city for conference, you should mention Enugu before Kigali or Cape Town in South Africa. What we are doing today is just to get us closer to that dream,” he stated.

Emphasising on timely delivery, Mbah said the government had made all necessary arrangements to meet its commitment to the contractors, who must work day and night, as there would be no room for cost variation or time overrun.