By Ifeyinwa Ogwo :
The Commissioner for Culture, Entertainment and Tourism, Anambra State, Mr. Don Onyenji said that the state is rapidly developing into a vibrant tourism destination with the construction of the Solution Fun City which will be one of the largest tourism sites in sub-Saharan Africa.
“The Fun City features exciting attractions such as an amusement park, a 38-foot Ferris wheel with captivating lighting, six swimming pools, a country club, a children’s park, sports facilities, and more.
“The site which is located within the Awka City Stadium premises at the heart of Awka, is expected to create job opportunities for at least 500 people and is anticipated to be operational by this Christmas season.”
Mr. Onyenji gave this view during a gathering to celebrate the 2024 World Tourism Day which comes up every September 27.
The theme for this year’s event is, Tourism, Justice, and Peace.
The commissioner mentioned that the Solution Neighbourhood Leisure Park is another notable tourism site that is currently under construction at the former site of the Anambra State Newspapers and Printing Corporation, featuring an amusement park, sports facilities, and other attractions to provide a space for relaxation.
“Agulu Lake and the Igbo-Ukwu Museum, which house a significant number of artifacts that tell the story of Ndi Igbo, are currently undergoing renovations. These renovations aim to attract more tourists to the state. Furthermore, there are plans to improve the Owerre-Ezukala waterfall/cave, Ogbunike cave, and the Anam beach.”
Mr. Onyenji, then, encouraged people to visit the Ojukwu Bunker at Amorka and the Reconciliation House in Amichi, to behold the creative ingenuity of the leaders of the defunct republic of Biafra, noting that it is part of the journey to the present time.
In his part, the Permanent Secretary, Mr. Jerome Ilokwu said, “tourism is a wealth creation window for the state and the people and Anambra State today is now a destination for development and tourism courtesy of Mr. Governor, Prof. Charles Soludo, who has embarked on a giant development of some tourist sites in the state”.
He expressed gratitude to the commissioner and everyone present at the gathering, stating that the World Tourism Day is put together to enlighten the people on the importance of tourism and its beneficiary purpose for the state.
One of the Members of the Tourism Volunteer Network, Chinedu Agu called on Ndi Anambra to invest in tourism and to maintain the Igbo culture and identity.
Present at the event were the members of the Tourism Volunteer Network and staff of the Ministry of Culture, Entertainment and tourism.