TINAPA: REVIVAL OF A DREAM

After years in limbo, Tinapa Business and Leisure Resort is coming back on stream, writes ISUMA MARK

When the Cross River State Government announced the successful repossession of the Tinapa Business and Leisure Resort from the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), the development was received with a mix of relief, nostalgia, and renewed optimism. For many Nigerians—especially Cross Riverians—the recovery rekindled the hope that one of the most ambitious economic projects ever built in Nigeria could finally fulfill its original promise.

The repossession was more than the return of a physical asset. It was the revival of a dream: a dream of commerce, tourism, industry, and regional integration that once placed Cross River State at the forefront of economic innovation in West Africa. Tinapa’s story is compelling precisely because it reflects how visionary initiatives can rise, falter, and rise again.

Tinapa was conceived in the early 2000s by the administration of Governor Donald Duke, whose vision was to redefine Cross River State’s economic trajectory after the painful loss of its oil wells to Akwa Ibom. Rather than succumb to the setback, Duke charted an ambitious new course anchored on tourism, services, and non-oil investment. Tinapa was the crown jewel of that economic master plan. It was designed as a groundbreaking mix of business, leisure, entertainment, and free-trade. At the time of its commissioning in 2007, it was hailed as the first integrated business and leisure resort of its kind in Africa. The plan was bold: a world-class shopping district, wholesale warehouses, duty-free retail spaces, a movie studio, a water park, a luxury hotel, lakeside attractions, and modern meeting and exhibition facilities—all built on expansive land near the Calabar River.

Tinapa’s creators envisioned it as the new commercial heartbeat of West Africa. Cross-border traders from Cameroon and Central Africa would flock to the facility. Nigerian wholesalers would warehouse goods in the resort. International brands would open anchor outlets. Tourists would come for leisure, while entrepreneurs would come for business. It was intended to be Nigeria’s answer to Dubai’s free zones, Johannesburg’s commercial hubs, and Orlando’s entertainment clusters.

For a brief period, Tinapa thrived. Tourists visited, shops opened, film producers flocked to Tinapa Studios, and the resort became a shining example of what subnational governments could accomplish with creativity and vision. The pride was palpable. Cross Riverians spoke of Tinapa the way people speak of national treasures.

But gradually, the cracks began to show.

Tinapa’s struggles emerged from a combination of structural obstacles, regulatory inconsistencies, and political indifference. Federal policies failed to support the free-trade aspirations of the resort. Customs operations within the zone became a constant point of friction. Investors who expected tax holidays and duty waivers faced unpredictable restrictions. For many businesses, the uncertainty was intolerable.

Then came the financial stress. The state had borrowed massively to build Tinapa, and when revenues did not match expectations, debt obligations mounted. Eventually, AMCON assumed control over Tinapa’s liabilities. That intervention, while necessary for debt recovery, plunged the resort into operational limbo. The state could no longer fully manage it, and AMCON could not run it as an investment-driven enterprise.

Shops closed down. The water park grew dilapidated. Tinapa Studios became inactive. The once-bustling retail blocks became ghostly corridors. What had been built as a symbol of prosperity turned into a painful reminder of lost potential. By the mid-2010s, Tinapa was a shadow of its former promise, and the dream of regional economic transformation had faded into nostalgia.

Successive administrations attempted revivals. Consultants were hired, feasibility studies commissioned, and investors courted. But none of the efforts could overcome the fundamental problem: the state no longer controlled its own creation. Until ownership and legal clarity were restored, Tinapa could not be revived.

That clarity finally arrived this year.

The announcement that Cross River had fully repossessed Tinapa marked a decisive turn in the project’s long and troubled history. According to senior government officials, all legal and financial disputes with AMCON have been resolved, returning Tinapa to its status as a wholly owned asset of the state. “This is the beginning of Tinapa’s journey back to productivity,” a member of the state’s negotiating team said. “Reclaiming Tinapa means reclaiming our economic future.”

The government stresses that the repossession is not merely bureaucratic but strategic. Bringing Tinapa back under full state control aligns with the administration’s broader plan to rebuild investor confidence and reposition Cross River as an economic hub. The move signals political will, fiscal responsibility, and a renewed commitment to unlocking dormant infrastructure.

It also expands the state’s portfolio of strategic assets, giving the administration greater leverage in attracting investors, negotiating partnerships, and reactivating business operations.

Perhaps most importantly, insiders say the repossession has reignited interest among investors. Several companies in manufacturing, agro-processing, logistics, and entertainment have reportedly expressed readiness to explore partnerships now that the resort is fully back in state hands. One official confirmed that the state has already begun discussions with partners in the agro-industrial and manufacturing sub-sectors. “Tinapa’s attractiveness has been restored,” he said. “Investors want clarity and seriousness. The state is now offering both.”

The recovery of Tinapa is more than a bureaucratic victory; it is an emotional one. For Cross Riverians, Tinapa was a dream built with pride—and its decline was a source of anguish. The renewed effort to restore it has therefore been met with cautious optimism.

The government has extended an open call to investors, including Cross Riverians in the diaspora and their business partners, to take advantage of the new momentum. “Tinapa is now positioned as an investor’s haven,” an official said. “The opportunities are limitless.”

Analysts believe that if properly revitalized, Tinapa could become a major regional trade centre for West and Central Africa;

a manufacturing and processing hub for agro-based industries; a creative and entertainment powerhouse through its studio complex, and

a tourism magnet linked with Obudu, Marina Resort, and Calabar Carnival.

The challenges are real, but so is the potential. To succeed this time, Tinapa will need stable policies, professional management, transparent partnerships, and consistent federal alignment, particularly regarding free-trade operations.

Still, the renewed energy surrounding the project suggests that Cross River may finally be ready to write the next chapter of Tinapa’s story—one defined not by decline, but by revival and sustainability. Indeed, Tinapa’s resurrection represents more than economic strategy. It reflects a deeper aspiration to restore Cross River’s pioneering role in tourism, commerce, and innovation.

Mark writes from Abuja