The Kogi State government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a firm, GoldenCity Engineering Consultancy Company Ltd., for the development of an International Resort at Mount Patti, Lokoja, Kogi.
Signing the MoU on behalf of Kogi government on Wednesday in Lokoja, the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Dr Folashade Ayoade, said the MoU was to design and source finance for the development of International Resort at Mount Patti, Nataco and associated infrastructure in Lokoja.
Ayoade said she was excited about the signing of the MoU for the economic benefits of the citizens and the new narrative of Kogi’s tourism once the project was actualised.
The SSG lauded Gov. Yahaya Bello, for providing a conducive environment for investments to thrive in the state.
According to her, Mount Patti offers a pot of treasure that will compete favourably with other tourist destinations in the country, and will boost the state’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).
In his remarks, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GoldenCity Ltd., Mr Emmanuel Isaiah, thanked the Kogi government for giving his firm the opportunity to develop an international resort at Mount Patti and Nataco.
Isaiah highlighted some attractions to boost the state’s tourism potential to include: Towers with Helipad, Amusement Parks, Museum, Cable Car from Nataco to Mount Patti, Boat Cruise, Five-Star and Chalet Hotels among others.
Other government officials at the occasion were: Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Mr Salifu Idachaba; the Special Adviser to the Governor on Special Projects, Mr Abdulkareem Onyekehi and the Special Adviser to the Governor on Culture and Tourism, Mr Femi Bolaji.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the project, named, “Lokoja International Resort,” was initiated by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Special Projects, Mr Abdulkareem Onyekehi, as a turnkey concept expected to transform the socioeconomic landscape of Kogi.
The international resort is expected to be commissioned before the expiration of the tenure of Bello.
NAN also reports that the Mount Patti Hill is a 1, 503 foot-tall (458m) mountain and tourist attraction in Lokoja, famous as the place where the name Nigeria was coined.
Looking down from the top of Mount Patti, British journalist and writer, Flora Louise Shaw, (later Flora Lugard) was inspired by the view of the Niger and Benue Rivers, 6 kilometers away, and coined the name Nigeria in 1914. (NAN)
