Delta, private sector to build leisure park in Asaba

Mrs. Onyemaechi Joan Mrakpor, DG, DSCTDA.

For residents of Asaba that have had to travel outside the capital city in search of family fun, the 2020 yuletide season may usher in a new era for them if the plans of the Delta State Capital Territory Development Agency (DSCTDA) mature according to schedule. 

A leisure park to provide entertainment for families and children will be developed in Asaba, capital of Delta State and could be up and running ahead of 2020 Christmas.

The park which will be funded by a private organisation is seen as the missing link in the emergence of the capital city into a cosmopolitan city. 

Director General of the DSCTDA, Mrs. Onyemaechi Joan Mrakpor, who revealed this said the absence of such a facility has been denying residents of Asaba the opportunity for leisure outing and family bonding.

Speaking on a Delta Broadcasting Service (DBS) Television current affairs programme weekend, Mrakpor said the DSCTDA is engaging a private organisation to execute the project. 

"Our target is that before the yuletide of 2020, a functional leisure park complete with entertainment facilities for children and families will be in place in Asaba. It is very important to have a decent leisure park in Asaba given the fact that it is now the gateway to every part of the country," she said.

Mrakpor said the state governor is desirous of giving Asaba an ambience that is not only welcoming to businesses and entrepreneurs but also those seeking relaxation and family outing. "We have to take advantage of the security in Asaba and provide a haven for entertainment to thrive," she said of the leisure park project. 

On the ongoing makeover of Asaba, she said the shopping lines under construction in strategic areas will accommodate the fruit vendors and street traders in the state capital. They are equipped with conveniences that will be maintained. 

According to her, adequate space for street traders have been provided at the market by Midwifery Road, along Okpanam Road while the new wing of Ogbeogonogo Market can accommodate over 200 street traders when completed.

The planned leisure park is coming as the state Ministry of Culture and Tourism is building a film village at Ugbolu, a suburb of Asaba. Mr. Lawrence Ejiofor, its commissioner, said the project will leverage on the emergence of the state capital as the home of Nollywood as the Nigerian motion pictures industry is known.