FROM ONYEKACHUKWU MELUWA, Calabar
Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria, AMCON, has formally handed over Tinapa Business and Leisure Resort to the Cross River State government, ending years of federal control and paving the way for the facility’s revival.
Its Executive Director, Mr Shola Lamide, who confirmed the handover in Calabar at the weekend, said the corporation, which took over Tinapa in 2011, had been unable to attract private investors to revive the project. He described the resolution as “a win for both AMCON and the people of Cross River.”
The Commissioner for Finance, Dr Mike Odere said the return of Tinapa signified the restoration of hope and pride for the people of the state.
“It means pride, reawakening and renewed hope,” he said.
Speaking at the ceremony, Governor Bassey Otu described the development as “a battle fought and won for all Cross Riverians,” noting that the recovery of the resort marked a major milestone in the state’s economic renewal drive.
“The return of Tinapa is not merely an event; it is a rebirth—the triumph of faith, patience and resilience,” the governor declared.
Otu recalled that the resort, conceived under former Governor Donald Duke, once showcased the state’s capacity for bold, investment-driven development.
He pledged that his administration would reposition Tinapa as a hub for trade, tourism and creative enterprise under a transparent management structure.
“We are breathing new life into Tinapa, not as a relic of abandoned ambition, but as a living symbol of Cross River’s resilience,” he added.
The governor also disclosed that the state had begun engaging credible investors and partners to transform the facility into a centre of commerce and job creation.
He commended the federal government and relevant agencies for their cooperation in the transition process and thanked stakeholders who contributed to the recovery.
Otu noted that before Tinapa’s establishment in 2007, Cross River had few landmark projects that drew global attention, describing the resort’s creation under Duke as a turning point in the state’s development history.
