The Cross River State Government has successfully revitalized the long-abandoned Marina Resort in Calabar, securing a massive private-sector investment worth over N5 billion. Cross River news
The project, driven by the Blake Group (BLEEC), transforms the historic waterfront facility into an all-inclusive, multidimensional entertainment hub featuring a 24-hour music serenade, a club, a bistro, grills, a cinema, swimming pools, a bakery, and accommodation spaces.
Speaking during an assessment tour of the facility on Thursday, the Managing Director of the Cross River State Tourism Bureau, Prince Ekpenyong Ojoi, described the development as a monumental endorsement of Governor Bassey Otu’s administration by the private sector.
READ: News: Cross River State Governor, Otu reopens Marina Resort two month after boat accident
“This is a beautiful edifice, and the first of its kind in Cross River State,” Ojoi said. “It’s a statement clearly telling the world that Cross River is safe, and money is safe with Prince Otu.”
He recounted that the idea was birthed in 2023 following his appointment, when he met with the investor in Abuja and convinced him to replicate his successful entertainment model along the Calabar waterfront. The resulting project is expected to trigger a massive economic chain reaction in the state, including the consumption of over 3,000 fish daily from local fish farmers.
“Tourism is like a cobweb. It drags everything with it,” Ojoi explained. “So you are going to have about 400 Cross Riverians working here, first and foremost. During the construction of this site, we had over 100 Cross Riverians in this Bayside, earning N5,000 a day for over seven months. There’s going to be a chain of economy that will create and improve our economy in the state.
