Landmark Africa has begun the phased renovation of the historic Nike Lake Resort in Enugu, kicking off what it calls the first leg of a N10 billion investment plan aimed at transforming the once-iconic destination into a world-class leisure, tourism, and hospitality hub.
This marks the company’s biggest public redevelopment project since the 2024 demolition of its Landmark Beach property in Lagos, which left the group without its flagship location and forced a broad recalibration of its expansion strategy.
A video shared on Tuesday via the official X (formerly Twitter) handle of Landmark Nike Lake Resort Enugu gave the public its first glimpse into the renovation progress. Footage featured project managers and interior designers walking viewers through the construction zones, highlighting both technical improvements and aesthetic changes already underway. The team noted that Phase A of the project is about 50% complete.
Work so far has involved gutting rooms, removing aging fittings, breaking down cramped structures, and reworking outdated designs.
“We’ve removed outdated elements such as the old television sets and bed frames,” said one of the interior designers featured in the video. “These previous fixtures have been incorporated into our redesign concept and taken out to make room for the new installations.”
In a demonstration of structural intervention, another designer showed how the old bathrooms, once described as “tight and inefficient,” had been completely overhauled.
“One of the first things we did was break down the existing toilet walls… to expand the space,” she said. “There’s now a dwarf wall in place because we plan to install a full-height glass wall. At the moment, we’re finishing the gypsum board ceiling, and screeding has already been completed. By tomorrow, we should begin painting.”
She added that the design philosophy behind the renovation is to create a space that’s “modern yet simple—classy but not excessive.”
Public-Private Partnership with Enugu Government
The extensive renovation follows a landmark joint venture agreement signed in January 2025 between Landmark Africa and the Enugu State Government. Under the deal, the state provided the Nike Lake Resort—situated on a 150-hectare lakeside property—as an equity contribution. Landmark Africa, in turn, secured a 35-year lease to manage, operate, and redevelop the resort under its hospitality portfolio.
Sources familiar with the deal say the state is banking on Landmark’s brand and track record to revive what had become a largely neglected government-owned facility. Nike Lake Resort, once a popular getaway in the Southeast, had fallen into disrepair over the years, unable to compete with more modern hotels and destination resorts in other parts of the country.
The N10 billion earmarked for this first phase of redevelopment will cover the overhaul of the hotel rooms, the construction of private waterfront villas, beach lounges, fine dining outlets, a children’s play park, and a golf course. Other features will include expanded event facilities, boat cruises on the lake, and integrated green spaces—components Landmark says are necessary for attracting both local and international visitors.
From Coastal Crisis to Inland Rebirth
The company’s move to Enugu is seen as part of a major pivot following the loss of its beachfront operations in Lagos. In 2024, Landmark’s multibillion-naira beachfront property—which hosted the Landmark Beach Resort, a top attraction for locals and tourists—was demolished to pave the way for the federal government’s Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project. The demolition sparked widespread criticism, with Landmark alleging that its investments were bulldozed without adequate compensation or viable relocation alternatives.
With its Lagos base gone and core operations disrupted, Landmark said it would relocate its Nigerian headquarters and initiate new expansion efforts. Company founder and CEO Paul Onwuanibe described the shift as a “strategic reset” aimed at reducing dependency on Lagos and tapping into underutilized tourism markets across Nigeria and Africa.
Shortly after the demolition, Landmark announced that it had received expressions of interest from governors across 12 states offering land and support to host new developments. After internal evaluations, Landmark selected Enugu and Rivers States as the first two confirmed locations for its next phase of expansion.
In Rivers State, the company signed an agreement with the state government to redevelop the Port Harcourt Tourist Beach into a modern leisure and hospitality destination. Initial plans suggested that work would begin in the first quarter of 2025, with a phased delivery schedule expected to run through the end of the year.
However, as of mid-July, no official update has been issued by either Landmark or the Rivers State Government regarding the status of that project. Sources close to the matter say delays may be tied to land documentation issues and internal administrative changes in the state.
Reviving Domestic Tourism
Tourism analysts say Landmark’s pivot to states like Enugu could mark a turning point for Nigeria’s struggling domestic tourism industry, long held back by infrastructural decay, poor policy execution, and insecurity. Enugu, with its peaceful setting and long-standing reputation as a cultural and historical center, offers significant untapped potential, particularly if supported by private sector capital and modern hospitality standards.
While construction continues at Nike Lake, Landmark Africa says it remains committed to building iconic destinations that not only serve local communities but also attract global attention. If successful, the Nike Lake Resort could become the centerpiece of that new vision—one born not from expansion, but from crisis.
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