By Kelechi David
Nigeria’s foremost tourism & hospitality company, IrinAjo, has signed a concession agreement with the investment arm of the Ekiti State Government, Fountain Holdings Limited over the Ikogosi Warm Spring Resort for fifteen years.
The Ikogosi resort, which was revived and fully operational during the first tenure of Governor Kayode Fayemi, was abandoned and left to rot by the succeeding administration.
This agreement comes after a long search by the Fayemi led administration to secure a private investor to rehabilitate and take over the operation of the Ikogosi warm spring resort.
During the signing ceremony, the CEO of IrinAjo, Mr. Adedamola Idowu said that the company was inspired by the ‘beautiful and uncommon phenomenon’ the resort is, adding that he intended to further push the global acclaim of the resort further than it is.
Mr Idowu said that though there were challenges, he had a masterplan to reposition the facility in two phases – first, to return it to operational capacity and to expand the facility – which would be completed before December 2021.
The globally travelled tourism expert also assured tourists of a standard hospitality and tourism destination that would offer a wide range of services that would cater for their individual, organisational, educational, and academic needs.
The Fayemi led administration has continued to demonstrate its commitment to harness the state’s tourism potentials and make it a destination for tourists and revenue enablers.
Present at the concession signing ceremony were the GMD/CEO, FHL, Oska Seyi Aiyeleso, GM Business Development, FHL, Mr. Kunle Oladele, and the Group Accountant, FHL, Mr. Femi Ayeni.
Ikogosi Warm Spring Resort is a unique hospitality facility with a rare natural warm spring with a confluence of warm and cold water maintaining their thermal properties.
The facility which has been developed with ninety-one rooms of different cadres, a unique warm spring swimming pool, three hundred and twenty seater amphitheatre, one hundred and fifty seater mini hall with training aids, and a five hundred seater conference hall, is being concessioned to improve Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of Ekiti State
