There is no question that the Delta State Government has undertaken ambitious, far-reaching investments across recreation, cultural development, and urban renewal.
These efforts, pundits agree, reflect a deliberate strategy to enhance the quality of life for residents, boost local tourism, and create vibrant public spaces that foster social cohesion. By prioritising recreational infrastructure, the state is not only encouraging healthy lifestyles but also building inclusive environments where communities can gather, engage, and thrive.
One of such projects is the Maryam Babangida Leisure Park and Film Village. Located in Asaba, the state capital, this flagship project designed by Contemporary Design Associates (CDA), operating under the Contemporary Group Limited, responds to the
prior absence of a world-class leisure and cultural destination in southern Nigeria. The development embodies a unique convergence of entertainment, nature, film-industry infrastructure, and civic aspiration, establishing a new identity for Asaba as both a cultural and tourism hub.
Set within a 30-acre expanse of formerly waterlogged lowland, the project’s success lies as much in its technical innovation as in its vision. What was once a challenging terrain—prone to flooding and considered unfit for development—was transformed by CDA into a dynamic landscape of recreation, learning, and creativity. The design team viewed the site’s environmental limitations not as obstacles but as opportunities for ingenuity, crafting a sustainable and immersive destination where leisure and landscape coexist seamlessly.
The park offers a comprehensive mix of facilities designed to appeal to visitors of all ages and interests. At its centre lies an artificial lake that doubles as both scenic heart and recreational feature, hosting water-sports, boat rides, and lakeside events. Surrounding it are sprawling lawns and tree-lined pathways that provide space for jogging, walking, and family picnics. A zoological garden housing more than seventy animal species serves as a living classroom, while water slides, wave pools, and go-kart tracks inject adventure and thrill into the experience. Rising prominently above the grounds is a ten-storey sky tower that provides sweeping views of the park and the city beyond, symbolising the upward ambitions of Delta State’s urban and cultural growth. Sports courts for basketball, volleyball, and skateboarding further extend the park’s recreational range, ensuring inclusivity for both the young and the young at heart.
Anchoring the development’s creative component is the Film Village—a purpose-built complex that integrates film production, performance, and education. It includes professional studios, a 400-seat theatre, editing suites, guest lodges, and administrative offices. This integration of film and leisure makes the project distinct within Nigeria, bridging cultural production and entertainment. It positions Asaba as a credible alternative to Lagos within the Nigerian film industry, providing infrastructure that supports local talent, content creation, and creative economy growth.
The dual identity of the site—as both Leisure Park and Film Village—underscores its holistic ambition. More than a park, it is a social and cultural institution designed to nurture creativity, tourism, and community well-being. By naming it after the late
Maryam Babangida, a champion of women’s empowerment and rural development, the Delta State government anchored the facility in a legacy of social progress. At its commissioning, the project received widespread commendation from national figures who recognised its significance as a cultural and economic catalyst for the state.
According to Vanguard Newspaper, the park welcomed over 250,000 visitors within its first seven months of operation in 2024, a figure that highlights its immediate popularity and broad public appeal. This success reflects the project’s careful balance of accessibility, entertainment, and ecological consciousness. It also validates Delta State’s broader policy of diversifying its economy away from oil by investing in culture, tourism, and sustainable urban infrastructure.
The park’s spatial composition contributes greatly to its vibrancy. CDA approached the master plan as an experiential journey, with each zone designed to reveal a new layer of activity, culture, or relaxation. The visitor’s experience begins at a grand, landscaped boulevard leading to a central promenade overlooking the lake. Around this axis unfold terraces, lawns, restaurants, and performance spaces that invite both motion and pause. Subtle topographical manipulations improve drainage while offering visual variety and gentle elevation changes. Architecturally, the park embraces a contemporary palette of glass, steel, and reinforced concrete, complemented by natural materials such as stone and timber, achieving a balance between modern form and organic warmth.
One of the park’s defining achievements is its seamless integration of architecture, engineering, and ecology. CDA’s engineering team developed an advanced drainage and water recycling system that turns environmental vulnerability into strength. The artificial lake functions as a reservoir during the rainy season, capturing excess runoff, and as an irrigation source during dry months. This sustainable water cycle, coupled with the site’s underlying stormwater channels, maintains both the ecological health and visual serenity of the park.
Sustainability remains a core philosophy of the project. Solar installations supplement the power supply, reducing dependency on the national grid, while a biological sewage treatment plant converts organic waste into biogas. This not only reduces environmental impact but demonstrates the potential of circular systems in large public developments. The landscape design reinforces this ecological ethic by incorporating drought-resistant native species that require minimal maintenance, ensuring long-term environmental resilience.
The Film Village extends the park’s relevance beyond recreation into the realm of creative production. With its studios, auditorium, and technical facilities, it offers a professional environment for film and television projects. Asaba has long been recognised as a secondary hub for Nollywood, and this development elevates its standing, providing filmmakers with an integrated space for production, post-production, and audience engagement. The park’s design encourages interaction between visitors and the creative process, allowing the public to witness aspects of filmmaking—thus blurring the line between spectatorship and participation. This innovative synergy between leisure and art deepens the park’s cultural resonance.
The project’s economic and social contributions are substantial. It provides direct employment to hundreds of people across maintenance, technical, administrative, and hospitality sectors, and supports thousands more indirectly through the value chain of transportation, food supply, crafts, and tourism. Restaurants and retail spaces within the park offer opportunities for local entrepreneurs, ensuring that the economic benefits circulate through the community. By establishing a reliable revenue model through its operations, the park contributes to local development while remaining financially sustainable.
For Asaba’s residents, the park has quickly become more than a recreational facility—it is a source of civic pride. As one local resident, Mrs. Uche Okolie, a business owner who visits with her family, explained, “Before this park was built, we had to travel to places like Benin or Lagos for proper family outings. Now, we have something world-class right here at home. It’s not just about fun; it gives us a sense of belonging and pride. When visitors come to Asaba and see this place, they realise our city is growing, becoming beautiful and modern. It gives our children somewhere safe and inspiring to play, and for us adults, it’s a space to relax and reconnect.”
Her words echo a broader sentiment shared by many. For a city often overshadowed by Lagos, the presence of such a landmark has instilled a renewed sense of optimism and identity. The park has become a gathering point for families, students, tourists, and creatives, reinforcing community bonds and projecting Asaba’s image as an emerging cosmopolitan destination. Its accessibility, safety, and modern design embody the values of inclusivity and progress that Delta State seeks to promote.
Affordability and inclusiveness are integral to the park’s operational philosophy. Its tiered ticketing system—Kids, Gold, Platinum, and Prime—offers flexible access to amenities, ranging from general entry and zoo access to premium experiences like go-karting, kayaking, and panoramic viewing from the sky tower. This model ensures that visitors from varied economic backgrounds can enjoy the facilities while generating steady revenue for upkeep and future expansion.
From an urban development standpoint, the Maryam Babangida Leisure Park has transformed Asaba’s physical and cultural landscape. Previously undeveloped and flood-prone, the site is now a catalyst for further investment in the surrounding area. Its presence has spurred improvements in road networks, hospitality, and commerce, while its proximity to Asaba International Airport enhances regional connectivity. The project’s contribution to Asaba’s designation as a UNESCO Creative City of Film reinforces its global cultural relevance and situates Delta State within a broader narrative of African urban innovation.
At night, the park assumes a new identity through a sophisticated lighting design that enhances both ambience and security. Pathways, facades, and fountains are illuminated to create a visually captivating atmosphere, with the lake serving as a reflective canvas for colour and movement. The result is a lively yet serene evening environment that has made the park a preferred venue for concerts, festivals, and social gatherings. The film village auditorium doubles as a multi-purpose space for cultural performances and civic events, ensuring year-round programming and vibrancy.
Delivering such a complex project demanded technical precision and creative adaptability. Converting swampy terrain into a stable foundation required extensive geotechnical engineering, including soil stabilisation and sub-surface drainage systems. Reliable power generation was secured through hybrid solar infrastructure, while careful zoning balanced environmental conservation with accessibility and safety. These challenges were met through innovative design solutions, demonstrating CDA’s expertise in delivering context-sensitive architecture that integrates function, form, and sustainability.
Ultimately, the Maryam Babangida Leisure Park and Film Village stands as a testament to how visionary planning and design can reshape a city’s cultural and physical identity. It proves that leisure spaces, when thoughtfully conceived, can function as engines of social cohesion, education, and creative empowerment. More than an entertainment complex, it is a civic landmark that redefines how public spaces can nurture imagination, celebrate culture, and stimulate economic growth. Its success has set new benchmarks for design quality, environmental responsibility, and inclusivity in Nigeria’s public architecture.
As it continues to attract visitors, host film productions and stimulate urban growth, the Maryam Babangida Leisure Park and Film Village will remain a landmark of Asaba’s transformation, a symbol of Delta State’s forward-looking vision, Contemporary Design Associates’ architectural excellence, and Nigeria’s evolving relationship with creativity, leisure and place-making.