Nollywood Turns Out in Force as Dr. Joe Enobong Essiet Unveils Gemba Hotel and Resort
Some openings are attended. Others are arrived at. The grand opening of Gemba Hotel and Resort in Calabar on Saturday, April 4, 2026, fell firmly into the second category.
By the time the red carpet had received its last guest, the premises carried a gathering that few hospitality events outside Lagos or Abuja have managed to assemble: filmmakers, actors, musicians, government officials, legal figures, and business leaders, all drawn to a single address in Cross River State for an evening that was equal parts ceremony and statement.
Funke Akindele was there. So were Timini Egbuson, Ego Nwosu, and the comic pair that Nigeria has never quite stopped watching, Chinedu Ikedieze and Osita Iheme, better known as Aki and Pawpaw. Actor Uzee Usman attended and delivered a speech from the podium. Guitarist Fiokee performed live through the post-ceremony entertainment, providing the kind of musical backdrop that kept guests well after the formalities had concluded.
Their presence was not incidental. It reflected something deliberate about the vision behind the property and the man who built it.
The Man Behind the Evening
Dr. Joe Enobong Essiet, founder and chief executive of Parcels Marts Solutions, owns and developed Gemba Hotel and Resort. He is not a name that appears regularly on entertainment pages, but on Saturday evening in Calabar, the people who do appear on those pages came to him.
When he rose to address his guests, he began with a word. Gemba, he explained, is a Japanese term meaning “the actual place where value is created.” He did not use it as decoration. He used it as a thesis.
“Gemba Hotel and Resort was not created to be another name in hospitality,” he told the gathering. “It was created to be a sanctuary, a destination, a story. A place where nature, culture, innovation, and hospitality come together with deliberate intention.”
It is the kind of language that sounds like a brochure until you walk the property. Then it reads differently.
The Ceremony
The Right Honourable Elvert Ayambem, Speaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly, performed the ribbon cutting. The Deputy Governor of Cross River State was present and addressed guests. Apostle James Koko Anem, Chairman of Calabar Municipality Local Government Area, attended alongside Enome J. Amatey, Esq., Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association, Calabar Chapter, and other government and civic representatives.
The programme opened with a red carpet reception, moved through a welcome address by General Manager Mr. Obinna, cultural entertainment by the Ekonbi dancers, and a brand presentation by Marketing Manager Miss Marvellous Ike-Egbuonu, before arriving at the key speeches and the ribbon cutting itself.
After the formal proceedings, dignitaries were received privately at Fleura, the property’s signature fine dining restaurant. Fiokee performed for the wider gathering downstairs.
The evening extended well into the night.
Dr. Josephine Enobong, wife of the founder, was present through the ceremony alongside their son and members of the immediate family, giving the formal occasion a personal dimension that the attending crowd did not miss.
What They Came to See
Gemba Hotel and Resort is a full-service property offering accommodation across villas, executive rooms, luxury serviced apartments, and igloo suites. Its dining facilities run from the fine dining of Fleura and the intimate Fleura Igloos to the casual setting of Peony and the outdoor Gazebo Bar. Three swimming pools sit on the grounds. Wellness facilities include a spa, beauty salon, gymnasium, and grooming salons. Leisure options extend to a private cinema, gaming centre, snooker room, and creative centre. The business facilities include an executive lounge, the Gemba Lounge, and a conference hall.
It is a long list, and Dr. Essiet addressed it directly in his speech, describing the combined offering as “an experience ecosystem.” The phrase is precise enough. A couple, a travelling executive, or a family arriving in Calabar should find everything they need within the property without having to look elsewhere. That is the pitch, and the facilities built to support it are visible and substantial.
A Magazine, a Cover, and a Moment
The evening carried one more notable event. Adesina Kasali, Lead Consultant and Content Head at Ranks Africa Magazine, unveiled the April 2026 print edition of Tourism and Hospitality Magazine at the ceremony. The cover features Dr. Essiet under the headline “Building Infrastructure for Africa’s Next Trade Era,” with a cover badge identifying Gemba Hotel and Resort as “A New Standard for Leisure in Southern Nigeria.”
The edition also carries features on the Top 25 Restaurants in South South Nigeria, the Top 25 Content Creators in Nigeria for 2025, and profiles of the Director General of the Nigerian Tourism Development Authority, the CEO of Miss Tourism Nigeria, and Barrister Hannatu Musa Musawa.
It was, by any measure, a full evening. The stars came, the officials spoke, the ribbon was cut, and a new property opened its doors in Calabar. What happens next is the longer story. Saturday night was only its first chapter.
Gemba Hotel and Resort is located in Calabar, Cross River State. Media enquiries may be directed to 07030446852.
