Lafia hall, a statement of innovation --- GMD Odua Group

Written by Duncan Wednesday, 07 July 2010

FOR the Group Managing  Director, Odua Investment Company, Mr. Adebayo Jimoh, the essence of sustaining a business depends solely on the capacity to initiate, update, manage  and  practically add  value to the system.

Jimoh, who was speaking on the hospitality springboard given to one of its subsidiaries, Lafia Hotel, Apata, Ibadan,  said the parent organisation was prepared, to bring all its hospitality outfit to standard.

The move, which has added a one-stop event facility to the ongoing upgradisng process in Lafia Hotel, was said to be in conformity with the reviving of abandoned structures.

The 2,500-capacity hall with adjourning meeting venue has a gallery with capacity of 100 to 150 guests depending on the seating arrangement, lavishly furnished and equipped with split and central chillers, suspended ceiling, entertainment platform, wide range of parking lots, among others to suit all manner of events

On the location of Lafia Hall, Mr Jimoh explained that the plan was to redirect traffic and also create a standard event centre for clients in Ibadan and environs, adding that the innovation was long over due to spice up customers’ quest to improve patronage bearing in mind that Ibadan is a growing city that will definitely take strong position as a tourist’s centre for the south western Nigeria, next to Lagos.

According to Jimoh: ”We also believe that people deserve comfort and recreation. We are aware that there are several event centres in Ibadan, but we believe that we can add the concept of one-stop event centre and recreation area in Ibadan. One stop means, if you are in Lafia Hotel, it with reasonable facility for accommodation and price where people can also have event at the same time recreate.

‘’And we also looked at event management sector in that section of Ibadan and realised there is a need for where people can have an all-night party and at the same time have a place to rest, which will reduce the stress of running around Ibadan. So, it is a one-stop centre, where you can entertain, have a peaceful rest, enjoy privacy and maximum security.”

Also, disclosing why it took Oodua Group so long to come up with such hospitality facility, the GMD explained: “Yes, it’s been there for a long time, but I will say that what we are doing in Oodua now is reviving a lot of our abandoned projects.

“As a leader, you must see beyond today and I believe that assets have to sweat, so that if they sweat we can create more assets. For instance, we are yet to fully complete this place, the interior decoration are ongoing. But somebody just stopped by and saw it and said that was where he was going to use for his event, which attracted the high and mighty in the society. Most of the guests at the event were wondering why the place was abandoned for 15years.”

However, Jimoh submitted that at present, they have spent close to N30million. In his words, “this amount is because we did a lot of direct labour. Our technical and estate departments were directly involved which lowered the cost of the project.

“The concept for the decoration was designed by the corporate affairs unit of the company. So, issue of consultants was out of it, because we have the brains in the company that do all the thinking for us.”

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