PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP IN THE MANAGEMENT OF GOVERNMENT OWNED TOURIST ASSET- A CASE STUDY OF NIKE LAKE RESORT HOTEL, ENUGU
ABSTRACT
Poor management has been unarguably the bane of Nigerian public enterprises since her independence from Britain in 1960. Nike Lake Resort Hotel, a three star hotel owned by Enugu state government has had its own share of this ugly menace until 2008 when the state government placed the hotel in a PPP arrangement with African Sun Limited, a reputable hotel management firm. This research endeavor therefore, examined how the hotel has fared under the PPP arrangement. Three research questions and three corresponding hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. The principal-agent theory was employed to explain how the complementary relationship between Enugu state government (Principal) and African Sun (Agent) translated into a productive venture for the transformation of the hotel. Interview instrument was used as the primary source of data for the study. In line with the judgmental sampling technique which the study utilized, six top officials of the hotel who are knowledgeable about the PPP were rigorously interviewed. The data generated from the interview were analyzed using the content analysis tool. Findings were made, upon which conclusion was drawn which also gave birth to some far-reaching recommendations on how to improve on the gains of Nike Lake hotel under the PPP arrangement and resuscitate other ailing government enterprises through the instrumentality of public private partnership arrangement.