CALABAR - After much delay at the airport in Abuja and some moments of anxiety and heart ache in the sky due to stormy weather, our plane landed safely at the Calabar Airport. Like other airports in Nigeria, it was not impressive.

Unlike Dubai, Nigeria has not started using airport to advertise her tourist potentials. As usual Calabar was neat with friendly people ever so eager to sell the city as the ultimate tourist destination in the country. Here and there, are relics of a recent cultural carnival festival in the state capital.

They are further reminder of the determined efforts to promote tourism here. “Oh Calabar is fine” echoed one of the passengers. He is correct. Calabar is indeed a beautiful city.

Our destination is Tinapa, the newly created International Business Centre, south-south of the Niger. On the way are some unsightly scenes that spoil the day and mock and demean the whole concept of Tinapa. One of them is long queue for water. The city is obviously hit by scarcity of water. This was reflected by youths, mostly girls, in the streets carrying buckets or jerry cans of water about.