The economic viability of Opi is one that holds several potential for the local people and the state government. The community is filled with vitality. Not harnessing the natural attractions in the Community is a blunder as it denies many an opportunity to explore the wonders of nature. The Enugu community has many features that make it ideal for an attraction based economy. It is a strategic community as it is a common passageway for traveling between North and East of Nigeria through the major Enugu axis.
This axis is the shortest route to the North/East borders as such there’s a huge traffic within the town’s axis of the journey path. Nearly all commuters traveling from the East to the North or the North from the East occasionally make a brief stop in the town.
The economic viability of Opi can be seen in the community’s strategic location which makes it such that perhaps investment is made in its attractions given the features of the community, a lot more commuters will seek leisure there while in transit. For some, their North/East journeys can be broken into segments where a brief stay in the community to explore the beauty can happen.
Apart from commuters, the town is a few minutes’ drive away from the University of Nigeria. Both the University and the Opi town are located in the same Enugu North senatorial district. Nsuka Township has become an emerging metropolis with booming businesses and a growing population. Exploring the economic viability of Opi given its natural attractions would find immense patronage from students and those doing business in the nearby towns.
There are several natural attractions in the community, apart from the natural attractions, commuters stop over to buy items like honey, water, bananas, and other edibles that could be consumed in transit. The community has grown a thriving business along the transit route. This can be developed further to serve as full-fledged leisure and fun point for travelers and residents.
Although the community’s underdevelopment can be partly attributed to its proximity to the University township, its potential to boom can also take advantage of the proximity to the University town and provide amenities that the university town has so far not been able to provide. The community has several advantages in this regard, especially given its lake networks. The lake network is a big plus to the economic viability of Opi.
Improving the economic viability of Opi Leveraging its Lake Network
A very remarkable feature of this Enugu community is its lake system. Several huge lakes are interconnected in such a beautiful formation. These lakes can be developed if the government desires to expand the scope of the community’s economic potential. The available market for attractions is already there as apart from commuters, several people in the nearby Nsukka town often desire a place to relax and take some leisure.
The Lake network is a strategic interconnection of 9 lakes. Locals and a small number of sightseers visit the lakes but the awareness of the awesome beauty of these water bodies has been hidden from a majority of the public outside the town.
The town is a relatively medium-sized one with huge popularity. This is because almost everyone who travels from the Eastern part of the country through the Enugu axis may have graced the community. This also applies to those traveling from the North to the East using the route.
The potential of these water bodies to attract even more leisure seekers remains in the shadows. Several individuals who live within Nsukka are mostly unaware of the lakes. This is because the lakes are a bit distanced from the road. Perhaps connecting roads to and out of the lakes could be created; several more people would feel the breathtaking views of the lake network. Apart from the lake network, this and several other natural attractions would improve the economic viability of Opi.
Examining the role of the People in the case of increased economic activities in the town
The attractions of every place has to take account of the people. In most cases, should the attraction and leisure potentials of Opi be realized, the locals will mostly be the guides. The current non-agricultural economic activities in the town is more about selling items to travelers. From along the road, you will find the women hawking items to commuters. This they do in the friendliest of manners.
They are welcoming to visitors often inquiring to know how the journey was before presenting their different wares to commuters in the hope that they purchase. From this, we can see that when it comes to realizing the economic viability of Opi town, the people of the community will be more than ready to make it work.
This shows a people eager to take advantage of the opportunities that their community offers. The people of the community can be described as welcoming, peaceful, and enterprising. While the women mostly display their wares and even bring them nearer to the commuters during the brief stop in the town, the men are usually farmers and towards the evening either retire to their homes or relax in some of the palm wine joints around.
The farm produce of the community is what is usually offered to commuters for sale along the road. Such palm produce includes bananas, cashew nuts, groundnuts, honey, and other items.
The people of the community would certainly be more than impressed should the town be developed and exposed to an economic boom. In several communities in Nigeria with the kind of strategic position that Opi enjoys, locals could be more demanding towards commuters or motorists, often demanding one levy or another for using such route. This is not the case in the community. The people are more interested in legitimate businesses and improving the experience of commuters while plying the route.
Conclusion
The economic viability of Opi can be seen in the very many economic activities thriving in the community. The strategic position of the town and the natural beauty therein calls for development. It will improve the travel experience for commuters and create employment for the locals. Also, it will improve the standard of living in not just the community but the nearby towns as the entire landscape likely becomes one with the right amenities that bring a reality of living working, and playing that is accessible to all.
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