The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Felix Omatsola Ogbe, expressed confidence that the project would be completed and commissioned by December 2026. His assurance follows commitments from South Africa’s Edison Corporation, in collaboration with the Radisson Hotels Group, to deliver world-class services at the facility.
Speaking to visiting executives from Edison Corporation and Megastar Technical and Construction Company at a one-day project management tour and workshop held at the Nigerian Content Tower (NCT), Swali, Yenagoa, Mr. Ogbe described the hotel as a top-priority initiative for the Board.
“This project is critical to the Board, critical to Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, and Nigeria,” he said. “With this hotel becoming functional at the end of the year, I believe there will be tourism in Bayelsa State; and that’s one of my dreams. When I took up this job in December 2024, I said I must make this hotel work.”
He praised the project teams for the quality and pace of their work and emphasized that accountability for timely delivery rested with the contractors. According to Mr. Ogbe, “Most of the critical aspects of the project have been resolved in terms of mark-up rooms, scope of work, financing, and contracting strategies. I am confident that all hands will be on deck to ensure work proceeds unhampered.”
Edison Corporation’s Chief Executive Officer, Vivian Reddy, expressed enthusiasm about the project and the strategic partnership with the NCDMB.
“Radisson Hotel and Conference Centre, Yenagoa, will put this place on the world map,” he said. “If anyone around the world searches for Radisson Yenagoa, they will find it, and it will help uplift the area in terms of visitors and tourism.”
Mr. Reddy assured that Edison Corporation would oversee the hotel’s construction to meet global standards, from start to finish, including interior furnishing and operational readiness. He also highlighted the rigorous process involved in securing the contractual agreement with the NCDMB, noting that it took more than 18 months and thousands of pages of documentation to finalize.
“When a group like Radisson, one of the largest hotel groups in the world, decides to come here, it is a mark of confidence in the area,” he remarked.
Reflecting on the visionary leadership behind the project, Mr. Reddy commended Mr. Ogbe as “a great visionary, an excellent leader. His vision and dream are going to become a reality. We’re going to help make it the best hotel in this region.” He also expressed full confidence in the technical competence of the project contractors and professional teams involved.
According to the NCDMB General Manager, Corporate Communications Division, Dr. Obinna Ezeobi, the Radisson Hotel and Conference Centre is designed not only to provide luxury accommodation but also to serve as a strategic hub for conferences, investor engagements, and high-level business meetings, thereby stimulating economic activities in Bayelsa State and across the Niger Delta region.
The project represents a significant milestone in positioning Yenagoa as both a business and tourism destination, aligning with broader efforts to attract investment and develop world-class infrastructure in Nigeria’s oil-rich region.
