Charles Ajunwa
The Chairman of Cavista Holdings, Mr. John Olajide, has requested help and support from the Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, to drive Ikogosi Warm Springs Resort and Conference as a destination of choice for domestic and international tourists.
Olajide, who made the request during the Destination 2030 Data Platform Strategic Retreat held at John McGee Hall, Ikogosi Warm Springs Resort and Conference Centre, said he left his businesses in Dallas, United States, to personally welcome and showcase the resort’s achievements to the minister.
One of Olajide’s companies, Glocient, the hospitality arm of Cavista Holdings, is managing the resort in Ikogosi on behalf of the Ekiti State Government.
He said, “Honourable Minister, it’s such an honour to have you here. I’ve been a fan for a long time, so it’s really a pleasure to meet you in person. I’ll get my selfie before you go.
“We’re so honoured to have you all here and I’m grateful that you’ve chosen to spend your time with us. We don’t take it for granted at all, and I hope you’re enjoying your time at Nigeria’s number one holiday resort destination, Ikogosi Warm Springs Resort and Conference Centre. My Cavista colleagues, they’re the best team in the world.
“Minister, you can see it’s such a blessing to have these incredibly smart people to work with. I think I’m the most special person in the room today. My apologies, Honourable Minister. I’ll tell you why? You know they say when you’re at a table and you’re surrounded by people that are a lot smarter than you, you are at the right table.
“Today, there are so many people in this room that are a lot smarter than I am, so I am at the right table. So, you guys get to work and I’ll just cheer you on. But I think there’s something that we all have in common, all of us in this room, and that is we have a passion for Nigeria.
“We have a passion that Nigeria can be all that we aspire for it to be. And the reality is no one person can do it alone. One primary reason why we have the Honourable Minister and her team here is to let them see what we’re doing and also share that we need help. We cannot do it on our own. We need a lot of help. We need a lot of support so that this can be a lot bigger.
“You know they say if you want to go fast, you go alone. And if you want to go far, you go with others. So Honourable Minister, we want to go far. That’s why we invited you here. And we know with your help and support and your team’s help and support, we can go very, very far. So, we’re excited that you’re here.
“I think it’s important to just underscore that our tagline at Cavista Holdings is that we create value and we transform lives. I believe deeply that business is a force for good. And it’s not just about making money. It’s about, yes, you get resources, but what do you do with the resources?
“There are three reasons why I’m personally invested in Nigeria, and I share this everywhere that I go. I’m glad the lady that spoke earlier about your Destination 2030 project said it’s about jobs. So there are three reasons why I’m investing in Nigeria: It’s jobs, jobs, jobs.
“Today, we’re the largest private sector employer in Ekiti State. We have hundreds employed here. We have 1,000 private people employed at our Agbeyewa Farms. It’s the largest cassava farm in Nigeria.
“By the end of the year, it’ll be the largest cassava farm in all of Africa, right here in the Eiki State. That in itself is a tourism site.
“I’m just so grateful that you’re here today. And we look forward to all the partnership, all the collaboration, all the help.
“One thing that’s really distinct about Cavista Holdings is we don’t come out just asking for help. We come out bringing value and saying, these are the things that we’re doing. These are the things that we can do to help you be more successful. Then I’m confident that as we work together, a lot can be accomplished.”
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