Peter Mbah, Enugu State governor last Thursday reinaugurated the remodeled Hotel Presidential Enugu built 62 years ago by the former premier of the defunct Eastern Region, Michael Okpara, describing the revival of the edifice as “a homecoming for history.”
The governor also said that he was targeting a sevenfold boost in the state’s economy through the hotel and other projects across the state.
Speaking during the unveiling, Governor Mbah, who praised the former premier for his visionary leadership in building the hotel as a symbol of Eastern Region, lamented that time and neglect deemed the light.
“For about 15years, this glorious edifice stood as affront to our pride and something contrary to what we represent. We came into office with strong pledge to recover what belongs to our people,” Mbah said.
He said that the revival of Presidential Hotel was in line with his campaign promise to recover Enugu’s moribund assets and also grow the state’s economy sevenfold.
“That is why this unveiling is more than opening the doors of a hotel; it is the reopening of Enugu’s confidence. It is a tangible sign that when we say Enugu is open for business, we mean business.
“This hotel is a strategic enabler of our growth plan, comprising the ambitious target to grow Enugu’s economy seven-fold to at least $30 billion and to achieve a zero percent poverty headcount rate,” he said.
He assured that the standards for the hotel’s revamp were truly world-class, because the administration “insisted on this so that when Enugu says ‘welcome’ to its investors, our hospitality infrastructure speaks with the same credibility as our policies.”
According to him, “Our hospitality ecosystem today is simply inspiring: the 5,000-seat International Conference Centre (ICC) now anchors Enugu’s conferencing ambitions; the adjacent 5-star, 345-room ICC Hotel under construction will deliver premium “keys” for large events; Enugu Air, which has given wings to our dreams and announced the scale of our vision to the world; And now, the renewed Hotel Presidential adds a full-service icon back into the mix.
“None of this is a whimsical project; they are connecting dots on a large canvas. These assets are crucial to our aim to welcome up to three million annual tourist visits and to make Enugu the Conferencing Capital of Africa.
“The economic value is already visible. This hotel alone supports hundreds of direct jobs, culinary and events teams, engineering, landscaping, suppliers, and several other opportunities.
“Every conference day books our taxis and CNG buses; every visiting family discovers our art, our music, our cuisine, and our warmth.
“And the signal to investors is even bigger: when government shows it can recover assets, fix the fundamentals, and protect investments, private capital follows. That is why you see momentum across other moribund assets like UPPL, Sunrise Flour Mill, Nigergas; International Conference Centre, and a host of others,” he added.
He thanked the managers and concessionaire of the reconstructed hotel, Amber Hospitality, for believing in Enugu’s potential, noting that “they bring on board an enviable pedigree, earned through the efficient management of about 12 successful brands in the hospitality sector.”
He equally commended the contractors – Dilworth – for their attention to detail as well as the successive Commissioners of Works and Infrastructure and their Culture and Tourism counterpart for working to realise the project.
Ugochi Madueke, Enugu State commissioner for Culture and Tourism, praised Mbah’s leadership style, saying that “the silence has been broken; the lights are on — never to dim again; the doors are open — never to shut again; and the spirit of Enugu is back, stronger and brighter than ever.”
Sunday Onyebuchi, former deputy governor of Enugu State, commended Mbah, saying that the administration was the fastest achiever of all the governors that had governed the state in two years. He commended the speed of building new things, and also reviving dead assets.
“Your mantra says that tomorrow is here, but you have resurrected yesterday today,” he said.
Chairman, Enugu State Traditional Rulers Council (HRH Igwe) Samuel Asadu, praised the governor’s work rate, having commissioned Enugu Air, five transport terminals, 100 CNG buses, the reconstructed Hotel Presidential in succession under one month.
“If you are not tired of commissioning projects, we will not be tired of coming out. We have never seen it this way. Your leadership in Enugu State is legendary and monumental. There is no vacancy in Lion Building in 2027,” he assured.
The Chairman of Enugu North LGA, Ibenaku Onoh, acclaimed the governor’s transformative leadership, assuring him of the people’s continued support.
The hotel will serve as economic catalyst and a cultural revival – Commissioner
Speaking with journalists at the event, Ugochi Madueke, Enugu State commissioner for Culture and Tourism, expressed unreserved gratitude to the governor for the comprehensive rehabilitation of the Presidential Hotel Enugu after nearly two decades of total neglect.
Madueke said that the hotel was a very important landmark in the Eastern Region built by former premier of Eastern Nigeria, Michael Okpara as once a symbol of Eastern Nigeria’s post-independence modernity.
She lamented that the hotel had fallen into disrepair for about 20 years until the present administration awarded its restoration to a local contractor.
According to her, the hotel has been upgraded to international standard, boasting 100 modern rooms, upgraded suites, event halls, and digital amenities, to create hundreds of jobs and stimulate local businesses through its supply chain.
Madueke also said that the reopening of the hotel would serve as both an economic catalyst and a cultural revival, positioning Enugu as a regional hub for tourism, conferences, and investment while restoring pride in one of the city’s most enduring landmarks.
“The hotel is clearly a hub for youth entrepreneurship. Opportunities include laundry services, photography, courier work, event planning, catering, tourism packages, and more. These ventures can plug into the hotel’s supply chain and guest services, offering steady customers and growth potential.”
She said that hospitality cannot be separated from tourism and that his Excellency, the governor, wants the state to be the destination for all tourism activities and having Presidential Hotel now means that there are places for tourists to stay when they come to Enugu.
Responding to a question on what should be done to avoid what happened that led to the closure of the hotel, she said that the government has taken a very serious measure by handing over the mnagement to Amber Hospitality a company known for efficient hotel management in the country.
According to her, the government has spent a lot of money, time and determination making sure the Hotel Presidential Enugu gets to world class status, and that the doors are now open and will not close again, the light is on and will not dim again.
“Mind you that when you talk about hospitality, your talking about employment, ordinary in the hospitality industry a room supposed to be for one person meaning that automatically since we have 100 Beds here, automatically it means that we are having 100 staff and in the agreement most staff are going to be from Enugu,” she said.
She advised the people of Enugu and the entire people of the South East to own the presidential Hotel as their property to maintain the Vision of the former Igbo leaders and that of the present governor of the state.
