Photo by Godswill Frank, Photorock Governor Attah, guests and press tour the upcoming five-star resort.

By Kevin Lambert

Hotels, responsible for tourist safety and happiness, are among the most cautious of investors. The stability of Akwa Ibom has allowed Le Meridien, now owned by Starwood, to erect a five-star golf resort in the African forest. And rather than try to beat the jungle back, they will nestle themselves into it, using a green, fabulous backdrop for the first resort – not just a hotel – in Nigeria. As an integral part of what Governor Attah calls "the next mile," the resort is slated to open this November.

"360-degree forest, palms and serenity," is how Hassan Ahdab, vice president of Starwood’s Operation, Africa & Indian Ocean division, describes it. "Our experience in Nigeria goes back 15 years. Nigerians travel a lot; they go and discover. They will be our main market, and we will add on to that the expatriate community." The expatriate community consists of corporate oil and insurance people, and all of the people who have been coming to Akwa Ibom lately, mostly to do business. "The location is unique," Ahdab says. "The interior design will show the flavor of Nigeria."

Big-time hotel operations generally begin with what is called a pre-opening. A bit like an audition, the hotel will stage a mock opening day, using workers who are trying out for the jobs. Managers evaluate their performance, pick the best, and send them into training. This is normally six months ahead of time.

"The chef will be foreign," Ahdab says, "but the rest will be Nigerian." The resort will start off by employing around 250 locals, mostly from Akwa Ibom. Over the first year, management will assess the volume and people will be added on as needed.

Photo by James Overly A green under construction at Akwa Ibom's 18-hole championship golf course.

The crown jewel will be the golf course, a dream landscape surrounded by palm trees. The management is in discussion with international golf pros for the inauguration; no names have been selected at this point. The golfing is, to Ahdab, "Critical. Nigerians are very keen golfers. This will create a destination." Expats, of course, can be even keener, and golfing is one of the few activities popular enough to truly anchor a resort.

Power weekends

Aside from the golf course, the resort will feature a gaming casino, complete with a helicopter pad for quick arrivals and departures. American gaming entrepreneurs have pronounced themselves extremely interested in this aspect of the resort. People in the know have always maintained that Nigeria is a "veritable gold mine for gaming investors." The governor’s planners have especially targeted expats on tight schedules for this venture.

Beyond that, Ahdab says, "We are really anxious to make a spa. Wherever you have a good spa and golf course, plus night life, this is what keeps the people busy." Then there will be "local art, and the

Photo by James Overly The marina is being built on the site of an old river trading post.

performance of local culture, which will be a major feature of the resort." The hotel facility will have boutiques that will sell art and artifacts from both Akwa Ibom and the rest of Nigeria. The food, one of the great strengths of Akwa Ibomite culture, will represent the region. Local bands will play at night. So the resort, in effect, will be an elegant upscale cultural center, presenting the best of the region’s culture and people under a single roof.

"This project, for Starwood, is part of a major expansion," Ahdab says. "We strongly believe in Nigeria as a good country for us. It has great potential in terms of revenue and return on investment." Based on that, hotel management met with the governor, who has been highly instrumental in making it happen.

In a move that might really excite eco-tourists, there is an idea to extend the resort straight into traditional Africa. Starwood and the governor have a plan – not yet formulated – to create a market village at the jetty, which opens onto the Qua-Iboe River. This could in turn lead to boat trips down the Qua-Iboe straight to Port Harcourt. The governor has taken a personal interest in the tourism potential of this journey. The trip should become one of the most interesting tours in Nigeria. The rivers are calm, peaceful and, on a canoe, almost endless.

Ahdab thinks that river trips may be a long term or short term project, but, "If this can be made formalized and safe, it will make it a really a new destination."

Governor Attah, consistent with his philosophy of seed funding, is looking for investsment partners for the full privatization of the resort.

Carving anything out of a jungle is a serious struggle, but when people can utilize the environment, rather than wipe it out and try to build upon the ruins, it will be amazing indeed.