Press Releases

Sunborne Yatch Floating Hotel To Be Operational Soon

May 24, 2009 - The Sunborne Yatch, the floating hotel on the Marina in Central Lagos, will become operational in the third quarter of this year, the State Commissioner for Tourism and Inter-Governmental Relation, Senator Tokunbo Afikuyomi, has said.

The Sunborne Yatch, which berthed at the Lagoon early last year, has been a subject of attention as it was alleged that the boat was purchased by the Lagos State Government; but the State Government has consistently explained that it was entirely a private sector initiative.

Senator Afikuyomi, who briefed the press on Sunday as part of the second anniversary of the present administration, however, explained that the hotel requires some technical overhauling before being anchored for operation.

According to Afikuyomi, as part of the preparations to get the 105 suites hotel ready for operation, the floating yatch will be moved to the Naval Dockyard within the next two weeks from her present location where it will undergo some re-tuning process and technical overhaul preparatory for top-rated service to the people.

He said the private sector partners are doing all that they could in order to ensure that everything required for the hotel to kick off is fully in place before this period, adding that the hotel would be returned to the Marina after a base has been built for it to secure it against tidal waves.

The Commissioner further explained the apparent delay in commencing operation at the hotel saying it was necessary to carry out proper technical overhaul of the boat and all the facilities after its journey all the way from Europe

“Within the next two weeks from today, the Sunborne will move from its present location in Marina for about 20 metres to Naval Dockyard where it would berth and all the necessary fumigation and re-tuning would take place”, the Commissioner said.

The Commissioner also disclosed that his Ministry has completed work on the grading, regulation, certification and standardization of hotels in Lagos State, adding that the rules would be enforced from August 1, this year.

The Commissioner, who lamented the absence of standardization for hotels in Lagos, said apart from the harmful effect it has on the economic potentials of the state, the absence also constitutes a form of security hazard for tourists, adding, “It is in order to rectify this situation that the government has put the necessary structure in place so as to commence upgrading and classification of hotel facilities across the state. We cannot wait for tragedy to happen before government takes up its responsibility”.

On the benefits accruable from the standardization of hotels in the State, the Commissioner who said it would help to further boost the image of the State inthe outside world, pointed out that, among others, standardization of hotels would bring in high value international events to the State.

Already, according to the Commissioner, the State Government, in collaboration with Team Nigeria, has won the hosting right for AYGP, an international car racing competition being organized by the World Cup of Motor Sports on the basis of having standardized and classified hotels in Lagos. The competition is billed for 2011, he said.

Also on the drawing board of the Tourism Ministry, Afikuyomi said, include the plan to resuscitate the Yaba Zoo which, according to the Commissioner, will soon regain its lost glory as one of the foremost tourist attractions in the Lagos metropolis.

“The tourism potential of Yaba Zoo will soon be restored with all its entertainment facilities for further education of our children”, Afikuyomi said, adding that the State Government has already secured the assistance of the Johannesburg Zoo which has agreed to supply the animals free of charge.

According to him, “We are at the first phase of this arrangement but before long there will be a well established Zoo in the State”.

Other achievements of the Ministry in the last two years, according to Senator Afikuyomi, include putting in place a new Tourism Policy for Lagos State, compilation of a body of tips for leisure and business in Lagos and completion of rehabilitation work on the first phase of the Badagry Heritage Museum, among others.

The media briefing had in attendance the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Barrister Opeyemi Bamidele, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mrs. Oluranti Odutola and her Tourism and Inter-Governmental Relations counterpart, Mr. Ashamu Fadipe among several other top Government functionaries.