The need to thrill children with, coupled with the drive for tourism, is the rationale behind the Hi-Impact Planet theme park, the Chairman, Solution Media and Infotech, Prince Adeyanju Lipede, has said.
Speaking to journalists at the park located off the Lagos/Ibadan Expressway, Ogun State, Lipede said in other climes children were well taken care of as evident in large amusement and theme parks located around Europe and America.
This, he added, had made the privileged members of the Nigerian society to take their children overseas to places like Disney Land for holidays and entertainment.
However, considering the growth rate recorded in the Nigerian middle class in recent times, coupled with the level of awareness and dwindling resources, his organisation, he said, had brought the international experience home to Nigeria with an African blend.
He said, “Everybody has been taken care of in the segments of the market. We have concerts and other things for adults. But there is a segment nobody has taken care of – the children.
“All the rides here are 2015 rides. They are not Chinese. They are of European standard made by reputable manufacturers from Germany, Italy and America and installed by them but manned by trained personnel from our company.”
According to Lipede, the park sits on a 185,000 square meters piece of land and is capable of serving 120,000 people per day at its full capacity with its 44 rides and other attractions.
Other facilities in the park, which has animated animals and people, including ‘house of horror’, are a clinic to take care of any emergency and also serve the host community as corporate social responsibility, 90 toilets which dot the premises, a police station and living quarters for the staff and security agents and an administrative block.
Lipede underscored the need to develop the country’s tourism potential not just for entertainment, but also to grow Nigeria’s revenue base and employment.
He said, “Today the greatest base of employment is entertainment and it revolves round tourism. And our government has been nonchalant about the potential of tourism. We have not been proactive enough about the potential in tourism. If anybody is coming to Nigeria for tourism, they are going to pay for visa, air ticket, hotels, souvenirs and all sort.
“They will spend their money at the hotels which will employ people that government will tax and so on. It is sad that the price of crude oil is going down and we cannot think of other means of revenue generation. This place will employ thousands of people directly or indirectly.”
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