Otti Revives 54-Year-Old Enyimba Hotel, Reclaims Ovom Road in Aba
By Momodu Favour
Governor Alex Otti on Wednesday delivered what many described as a defining moment in the economic rebirth of Aba, as he officially flagged off the long-abandoned Enyimba Hotels project—54 years after it was first conceived.
The ceremony, held at the project site in Aba, Abia State, marked a significant milestone in the state government’s urban renewal and investment drive. Otti declared that the revival of the hotel project symbolised the return of Aba as a major commercial and hospitality hub in Nigeria.
At the groundbreaking ceremony, the governor unveiled plans for a five-star, 250-room Enyimba Hotel to be developed in phases.
The first phase, which includes 120 rooms and a state-of-the-art convention centre, is expected to be completed within 18 months.
Otti disclosed that the project is being executed in partnership with global hospitality brand, Radisson Blu, a move he said signals renewed investor confidence in Aba’s economy.
According to him, his administration has spent the past 33 months deliberately repositioning Aba through infrastructure upgrades, improved security, and environmental interventions to meet the standards required for high-end investments.
“As demand grows, we will proceed to the second phase of 130 additional rooms, bringing the facility to full capacity within four years,” he stated, adding emphatically, “Aba is back.”
The governor paid tribute to the original promoters of the Enyimba Hotels vision, including Ukpabi Asika and Sam Mbakwe, as well as the Aba business community and the Aba Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ACCIMA), for sustaining belief in the project over the decades.
He assured that all previous investors had been duly recognised, with shares allocated to them or their successors, in what he described as a transparent and inclusive revival process.
Earlier in the day, attention shifted to Ovom Road, where the governor inaugurated a fully reconstructed corridor that had once faced imminent environmental collapse due to severe gully erosion.
Otti revealed that the state government reclaimed a 42-metre-deep gully stretching over 600 metres, describing the situation before intervention as “hopeless.”
Residents narrated dramatic transformations in the area, noting that properties previously abandoned due to erosion had been salvaged and restored.
Speaking with journalists, Chief Patrick Onyebueke, a landlord on Ovom Street, recounted how his one-storey building was nearly swallowed by the gully after erosion ravaged the area about five years ago.
“Two years after I built this house, erosion cut off the whole area. We couldn’t drive out anymore. Many houses were washed away, and mine was next,” he said.
Onyebueke explained that before the intervention, a factory operating in the area had sold about 15 plots of land and relocated because the worsening erosion made the environment unsafe for business and habitation.
“Then, land here was about ₦5 million per plot. Today, after the governor’s intervention, people are offering up to ₦30 million,” he said, attributing the sharp rise in property value to restored access roads and environmental stability.
Overwhelmed with gratitude, the tea merchant offered prayers for the governor and celebrated the transformation by declaring free tea for residents during the inauguration ceremony.
Commending the projects, the Senator representing Abia South, Enyinnaya Abaribe, described Otti’s leadership as transformative, noting that the Enyimba Hotel project would boost tourism, create jobs, and stimulate economic growth in the region.
Also speaking, the Director-General of the Greater Aba Development Authority (GADA), Architect Uche Ukeje, said the twin projects demonstrate the administration’s commitment to sustainable urban renewal and strategic investment.
He added that with improved infrastructure, environmental remediation, and renewed investor confidence, Aba is fast emerging as a destination of choice for investors and tourists alike.
Observers say the combined impact of the hospitality investment and the environmental reclamation project signals a broader economic shift in Abia State, positioning Aba once again as a leading commercial centre in the South-East.
