First City Monument Bank (FCMB) has demonstrated its commitment to the development of the hospitality industry by wholly financing the 155-room Radisson Blu Hotel located at Ikeja GRA in Lagos.
The new five-star hotel, which is the third in Nigeria and second in Lagos, was officially opened recently.
The hotel, owned by Avalon Intercontinental Nigeria, is under the management of Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, owners of the Radisson Blu brand and one of the largest hotel and hospitality companies in the world with 1,440 hotels in operation spread across 115 countries.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Managing Director of FCMB, Mr. Adam Nuru, said decision of the bank to finance the project was in line with its commitment to support initiatives that would promote and add value to Nigeria’s hospitality industry, thereby boosting tourism.
According to him, “we are determined to lead the way in driving efforts to expand the Nigerian economy and make the revenue base much more robust. The hospitality and tourism industries are integral parts of this diversification strategy’’.
Nuru added in a statement that the bank’s financing of the new Radisson Blu Hotel was also informed by the importance and benefits of theHotel in the areas of attracting business and tourism, employment, revenue generation, relaxation and ambience in Lagos and Nigeria in general. He assured that, “we will continue to intervene and offer excellent support as well as solutions in developmental areas that would fast-track the growth of the aspirations of individuals, businesses and the entire country.”
In his address, the Senior Vice President, Africa and Indian Ocean, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, Mr. Andrew McLachlan, said that the group was thrilled to be expanding its presence in Nigeria, one of Africa’s economic powerhouses, with the opening of Radisson Blu Hotel Lagos, Ikeja.
He further informed that, “today, we have nine hotels open or under development in Nigeria, including in Abuja and Port Harcourt. We have three open and six under development. So, we have 1,755 rooms in Nigeria today. The other six will be opened over the next four to five years.”
