Emir of Zazzau, Tor TIV unveil Royal Choice Inn at ABU, Zaria

The Chairman of Royal Choice Inn Hotel Worldwide, Chief Felix Akiga, has commissioned a new branch of the Royal Choice Inn Hotel at Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria. Commissioned on Friday, the hotel is a plush, state-of-the-art facility designed not only to provide comfort and relaxation but also to inspire guests with its modern elegance […]

The Chairman of Royal Choice Inn Hotel Worldwide, Chief Felix Akiga, has commissioned a new branch of the Royal Choice Inn Hotel at Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria.

Commissioned on Friday, the hotel is a plush, state-of-the-art facility designed not only to provide comfort and relaxation but also to inspire guests with its modern elegance and world-class hospitality.

Dignitaries from across the nation converged, including Tor Tiv, HRM James Ayatse, the Emir of Zazzau, His Highness Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli, retired Commissioner of Police, Chief Iorbee Ihagh.

Also present were former Governor of Bauchi state, Isah Yuguda, Gen. Ibrahim Adamu (Rtd), Porf Steve Ugbah, Vice Chancellor, UNIJOS, Prof. Ishaya Tanko and many more.

The traditional rulers jointly commissioned the project.

“This is more than a hotel,” he began, addressing an eager crowd. “This is my tribute—to ABU Zaria, to my roots, and to the countless students and athletes who deserve better.”

Akiga who is an alumnus of the university and a former Nigerian basketball international, understands the grind of academia and the strain of competitive sports.

“I’ve been that student, juggling lectures with late-night training sessions. I know what it means to need a place to rest, to think, to recover—to be ready.”

The Royal Choice Inn, ABU Zaria, is his answer to that need. With a serene environment, high-grade security, and modern amenities, it’s tailor-made for scholars deep in research, visiting dignitaries, or athletes preparing for championship games.

Whether it’s a professor drafting their magnum opus or a team getting into the zone before national trials, this is where focus and comfort meet.

His gratitude was as sincere as his vision. He singled out former Vice Chancellor Prof. Abdullahi Mustapha, the University’s Governing Council Chairman, Mal. Yayale Ahmed CFR, former ABU VC Prof. Kabiru Bala and Vice Chancellor, Professor Adamu Ahmed, for their unwavering support. “This couldn’t have happened without your faith in the dream,” he said.

The Zaria property, like others in the Universities across the nation, is an entirely built, operated and transferred under (PPP) at no cost to the Universities and transferred back to the Universities at the end of an agreed tenure (No land sold to Royal Choice Inn) by any of the Universities. “The project funded solely by Royal Choice Inn Limited is the latest gem in the Royal Choice Inn’s three-star budget hotel growing empire—a brand that now dots key Nigerian cities such as Abuja, Makurdi, University of Jos, and the University of Benin, with international footprints even as far as Dubai. Yet, despite its expansion, its heart remains firmly rooted in Benue State, where the headquarters resides in Makurdi.

As the sun set behind the rooftops of ABU Zaria, casting a golden hue on the freshly commissioned hotel, it wasn’t just the building that stood as a symbol—it was Chief Akiga himself. A man who once soared for slam dunks is now setting new records in business, community development, and legacy-building.