May 14, (THEWILL) – The Ebonyi State Government has called for private sector collaboration to develop the Amancho Cave in Owutu Edda, described as the longest cave in Africa, as well as other unique tourist attractions in the state.
The Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Hon. Stanley Ogbuewu, made the appeal during an interaction with journalists in his office.
He revealed that the Amancho Cave spans four kilometres and contains 14 water fountains that supply water to surrounding villages.
“We have unique tourist sites in Ebonyi State that you won’t find anywhere else in Nigeria,” Ogbuewu said.
He added: “Amancho Cave, for instance, is four kilometres long and allows you to move underground from one village to another. It features 14 water fountains and unexplored outlets. This site has the potential to become one of Africa’s premier tourist destinations.”
The commissioner emphasized that developing the cave and related infrastructure would require significant investment, estimating costs in the billions of naira.
He stressed that the state alone could not shoulder the financial burden.
“Tourism development is capital intensive. Ebonyi State’s allocation for eight years may not be enough to fund this project. We need investors—particularly from the international community—who have the resources and technical expertise to develop this site,” he said.
He also revealed that the government plans to open up access roads to make the site more accessible to potential investors and tourists.
In addition to tourism development, Ogbuewu disclosed that plans are underway to establish a garment factory in the state.
According to him, the construction of the facility will begin once funds are released.
“I received approval two Sundays ago from His Excellency, who publicly announced during a church service that the state would build a garment factory. I have presented the proposal to the Executive Council three times. Now is the time for implementation,” he said.
The commissioner added that while the state has completed the necessary designs for the garment factory, lack of funding remains the major challenge.
“We have the designs. What we need now are partners willing to bring in the capital. Once that happens, we are ready to commence immediately,” Ogbuewu stated.
Sunday Ogbu is a professional journalist with eight - twelve years experience that had worked with various print and online media. Sunday specializes in news reporting with the aim of educating his readers on current social, political and economic occurences within his area of coverage. Sunday is a strong force to work with in the media industry and uses his positive attitude and tireless energy to encourage others to work hard and succeed. Sunday is inspired daily by his wife and their four children. In his free time, Sunday likes sight-seeing, reading and discussing issues of societal interest.
