50462 Effiong, James Bassey and Ogbuefi, J. U / Elixir Fin. Mgmt. 117 (2018) 50462-50470 Available online at www.elixirpublishers.com (Elixir International Journal) Real Estate Investment and Finance Management Elixir Fin. Mgmt. 117 (2018) 50462-50470 The Economic Impact of Tinapa Business Resort and the Export Processing Zone on Economic Diversification in Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria Effiong, James Bassey1 and Ogbuefi, J. U2 1Department of Estate Management, Cross River University of Technology, Calabar. 2Department of Estate Management, University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus. ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Article history: The study examined the economic impact of Tinapa Business Resort and the Export Received: 16 February 2018; Processing Zone on economic diversification in Calabar, Cross River State. The study Received in revised form: looks at the importance of Tinapa Business Resort and Export Processing Zone in 02 April 2018; economic diversification of the State economy within Calabar. The study adopted the Accepted: 13 April 2018; survey research design and data was collected through the use of questionnaires administered on the staff of Tinapa Business Resort, the Export Processing Zone and Keywords members of the host communities. The study used descriptive statistics in analysing the Tinapa, data and the chi-square test was used to test the hypothesis formulated. The findings from Export Processing Zone, the study show that Tinapa Business Resort and the Export Processing Zone have Economic Diversification, contributed to the economic diversification of Cross River State through generation of Tourism, foreign exchange earnings, attracting of Foreign Direct Investment and tourism into the Cross River State. state. Furthermore, the study reveals that Tinapa Business Resort and the Export Processing Zone have affected the lives of the host communities through employment and the provision of basic infrastructure. Based on the findings, the study recommends the dredging of the Calabar Sea Port in order to attract more economic activities into the State and the proper funding of Tinapa Business Resort to enable it fulfilled its vision of being Africa’s Business hub in global trading and exportation of goods. © 2018 Elixir All rights reserved. 1.0 INTRODUCTION provides resorts across the state such as the Obudu Ranch and The Tinapa Business Resort and the Export Processing Resort, Aqua Vista, Tinapa Business Resort, the Agbokim Zone are both Free Trade Zones located in Calabar, Cross Waterfalls, Monolith sites and the National Park. River State. While the Tinapa Business Resort is established Export Processing zones (EPZ) have been identified as to boost the state tourism potential, the Export Processing one of the most important component of export promotion in Zone was also established to promote export and developing nations since the 1960s (Fu and Gao, 2007) as manufacturing activities of the state. Both Tinapa Business cited in (Edem, Ekpenyong and Ndiyo, 2015). The current Resort and the Export Processing Zone contribute to the government policy to reduce the dependence on crude oil economic development of Calabar and Cross River State as a exports and diversify her export base has encouraged non-oil whole. The tourism industry has a great impact on the export initiative. Indeed, Nigeria is in quest for diversification diversification of the economy of Calabar. Calabar is in of its export brackets, which has over the decades been serious economic predicaments which require diversification dominated by crude oil with agricultural produce as a distinct in order to achieve the desired economic development. As a second (Abisogun, 1998) as cited in (Ezeudu, 2014). A Free matter of priority, the Cross River State Government must Trade Zone is seen as an economic zone especially created in encourage economic diversification. a geographical region for landing, reassembling, constructing Today tourism is no longer a leisure but an activity that or recreating, and re-exporting of goods without custom has captured the attention of economists as a major source of authority’s intervention (Edem, Ekpenyong and Ndiyo, foreign exchange for developing and developed countries 2015). The government of developing countries set up Free compelling aspiring nations to develop both tourist sites, Trade Zones especially to ensure economic growth and standardized operations, improve infrastructures such as development by promoting industrial and commercial electricity, airports, rail, roads, seaport, that support tourism exportation. In an effort to diversify the revenue of the nation (Eneji, Acha and Bullus, 2016). The substantial growth of the and contribute to economic growth and development, the tourism activity clearly marks tourism as one of the most Federal Government of Nigeria established the Free Trade remarkable economic and social phenomena of the past Zone scheme as a means of attracting investments and century (Ajake and Amalu, 2012). In Cross River State in promotes industrialization. particular, tourism is a priority in the programmes of the State The Nigerian Export Processing Zone Authority government. As a result of this, the government funds and (NEPZA) was established by Act No. 63 of 1992 and the first Tele: E-mail address: [email protected] © 2018 Elixir All rights reserved 50463 Effiong, James Bassey and Ogbuefi, J. U / Elixir Fin. Mgmt. 117 (2018) 50462-50470 Nigeria Free Trade Zone was established in Calabar, Cross through the vision of Tinapa it will transform itself into a River State in 1992 and commissioned in 2001. The positive global trading hub reminiscent of great international Free effect of Export Processing Zone on the economy of Cross Trade Zones like Hong Kong and Dubai. Tinapa complex will River State is visible and enormous which has fostered a lot provide international standard wholesale emporiums, of public and private investments into the scheme across the integrated shopping complexes and product distribution country. The activities in Calabar Export Processing Zone elements supported by business tourism and entertainment (EPZ) will to a large extent improve the capacity of many facilities. The location of the Resort in close proximity to a local enterprises. This can be done through linkages by Free Processing Zone on the east-west trading routes provides providing employment, infrastructural development, skills exciting opportunities for Tinapa to serve as a distribution and technological acquisition, social development as well as point into Nigeria and the growing economic hub of West contribute to the Gross Development Product (GDP) of Cross Africa. River State among others (Edem, Ekpenyong and Ndiyo, Tourism has been playing a vital role in the socio- 2015). Despite the benefits of Calabar Free Trade Zone to the economic development and promotion for Nigeria, as one of state, the activities of Export Processing Zone is still at its the fastest growing economy in the world today. As a result, infancy stage as the number of direct and indirect tourism is being employed as a viable tool for achieving employment in the zone are not very encouraging. This paper optimum employment generation, steady rural-urban examines the economic impact of Tinapa Business Resort and integration and revenue for the government not to forget the Export Processing Zone on economic diversification in cultural exchange for internal and external understanding Calabar, Cross River State. The study therefore formulates (Abdulrahman, 2015). Nigeria is not alone in its effort to this hypothesis for testing. diversify the mono-cultural economy status as a nation; the Ho: There is no significant impact of Tinapa Business Resort country is heavily dependent on petroleum export and to and Export Processing Zone on the economic some extent agriculture to generate foreign exchange diversification of Calabar, Cross River State. earnings. Because of the exhaustible nature of petroleum oil Hi: There is a significant impact of Tinapa Business Resort and the uncertainty in agriculture resulting from and Export Processing Zone on the economic unpredictable climatic condition and fluctuation in the diversification of Calabar, Cross River State. international market of these commodities among other 2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW challenges, tourism therefore remains the only sustainable 2.1 THE TINAPA BUSINESS RESORT AND TOURISM and viable source of investment and foreign exchange earners DEVELOPMENT for the country (Abdulrahman, 2015). Most economies of the Tinapa is a business and leisure resort just north of world, developing and developed, have long imbibed the Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria associated with the economic theory of growth and have made tourism one of the Calabar Free Trade Zone. It is being developed in four phases major revenue generator and economic catalyst (Hjalagar and under a Private Public Partnership (PPP) promoted by the Anderson, 2001; Ayres, 2001) as cited in (Inyang and Esu, Government of Cross River State. The Resort is located by 2008). The government is giving the tourism industry more the Calabar River, contiguous with the Calabar Free Trade attention as a result of its campaign on diversification of the Zone. Tinapa is set to become a world class integrated economy (Esu, 2004). Inyang and Esu (2008) noted that business resort in Nigeria. Tinapa provides an unprecedented Cross River State is one of the states in Nigeria that aims at opportunity for tenants to be part of one of the most exciting