Kings Celia hotels and Suites

Determined to fulfill his parents dreams, as well as contribute to the development of the tourism and hospitality industry in the country, former Nigerian ambassador to the Republic of Congo, Greg Ozumba Mbadiwe (MFR), has opened a new hotel and tourist centre, King's Celia Hotels & Suites in Lagos.

Located on Jibowu Street, Yaba, the hotel, which has the support of the Mbadiwe family, was part of Greg’s desire to accomplish his parents dream.“My venture into hospitality business is to make the dream of my father a reality. My late father wanted to build a hotel in our hometown before his death, but the project is still awaiting attention right now. Also, having partnered with some Congolese to set up Brassaville Beach Hotel, I felt it is important to boast the hospitality and tourism of my country too with this initiative,” he explained.

On the choice of location for King Celia, Mbadiwe described Yaba as a historic location in the city, adding, “my siblings and I thought of immortalising our parents in our father’s first house located at Yaba, where he participated fully in Nigerian politics. The pedigree of this house is such was that he donated part of it to the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) then in 1979. It would interest you to know that Alhaji Shehu Shagari lived in this house; I also grew up in this house.

“Yaba was the end of Western region then and the beginning of Lagos. We decided to reconstruct the house to a hotel and tourist centre in memory of our parents, Kingsley and Cecilia Mbadiwe and also to complement the efforts of Lagos and Nigeria for honouring our dad.”

Mbadiwe also noted that, the initiative, without doubt, would also project the values and great influence of the geographical area, mostly as a silicon valley of Nigeria and also remind visitors with various displays of national leaders and pictorial displays indicating that Yaba was part of Nigeria’s political history.  

Speaking on the facilities and services, the General Manager Hassan Fawaz informed that the luxurious edifice is ready to set a new standard in the industry. “King Celia Hotel is very unique. We plan to provide our guests with an unforgettable experience matched by our very high standards and fully equipped facilities to even challenge those on the Island. Another attraction is the rich national cultural heritage we showcase on our walls.”

He continued: “it has a total of 50 rooms ranging from standard, deluxe, executive rooms and suites for guests. Other facilities include well-designed parking space, 24hour electricity and room service, as well as Internet facility. For recreation, we have swimming pool, gymnasium, onsite bar and restaurant, conference room, standard event center and others,” he said.