Gone are the days when Trans Amusement Park was the in-thing that made Ibadan a recreation hub. The writer reflects with a pang of nostalgia, those times when locals and foreigners basked in the ambience of fanfare which the park had to offer.  The recreational facility, officially known as Trans Wonderland Nigeria Plc, was incorporated on the 29^th of April 1989 on a 29-hectare land which was formerly used as an aerodrome by the Federal Aviation Authority of Nigeria (FAAN). Having undergone an utter state of neglect in recent years, the administration of Governor Abiola Ajimobi finally made the recreation a public-private partnership so as to ease the burden of maintenance on the state government. CEOAfrica was there to get first-hand information on the changes that have evolved over the years in this once-heralded haven. Kadiri Tolani reports:

A first timer at the Trans Amusement Park might be a bit underwhelmed by the drab atmosphere of the gate leading to the recreational park. The aesthetic plaques which added to the scenery of the first gates were no more. The writer, knowing well that he could gain entrance without much ado made a foray into the park but was accosted by the security officers who were a bit hesitant in letting him in. When he then feigned to be a tourist, he was told by one of them that the power supply had been interrupted and, thus, did not think that any of the recreational facilities could be operated. The security officers nevertheless paved way and off he went. Sporadically found on the pavements beside the runway were goats feasting on a harvest of overgrown grasses. On the right side of the road was a mechanic workshop crammed with several vehicles. Flanking the mechanic workshop at the rear is a thick forest still within the premises of the park. These obviously were indications that a considerable expanse of land in the park was being underutilised.

The three-minute trek finally led to the second gate which was the major entrance to the heartland of the park. The writer was directed to Mr Kunle Ajibola who is the Operation Manager of the enterprise. After due acquaintances, the writer was afforded the luxury of making a tour into the compound where the recreational facilities were. Unlike the zoological garden at the University of Ibadan, which is arguably the most sought after ‘Mecca’ in Ibadan, there was visibly no visitor within the park and neither was any of the recreational facility in operation. It leaves much to be desired that such an important landmark in the largest city of West Africa could play second fiddle to smaller recreational centres in the city. There was a time in the early 90's when foreigners usually came in droves to catch fun at Trans which was and still remains the largest recreational park in Nigeria.

It was quite nostalgic beholding the Niagara falls, the Tele combat, the Chair O’plane, merry-go-round horses, the panoramic wheel and the dragon in the same state in which the writer also enjoyed them during his salad days. Credit, however, needs to be given to the current management of the enterprise comprising the Oyo State government, the Federal Aviation Authority of Nigeria and a number of private investors for being able to maintain these facilities that have been in existence for almost three decades.

According to the marketing manager who took the writer on the tour, some facilities such as the electricity operated mini vehicles were already outdated and would be replaced with new ones soonest. The dragon which used to be one of the most enchanting facilities had been undergoing repairs for the past three years and was already nearing completion. According to the manager, Trans Amusement Park has the largest concentration of electrically-powered rides in Nigeria. The land train which happens to be one of the oldest recreational facilities covers a radius of 1.5 kilometres. As part of plans being made to improve the perimeter of land surrounding the land train, an orchard is already being put in place so that riders can have something alluring to fasten their eyes on.

The management nonetheless revealed to CEOAfrica that the capital intensive nature of maintaining the facilities is the reason why they have had to make do with the old facilities at their disposal. He, however, stated that plans were being made by the private investors to bring in some latest recreational facilities.

A controversial facet which the management of the enterprise was, however, unwilling to divulge was the process through which the shares of the enterprise were sold out to private investors. According to the Operation Manager, the predecessor of Governor Abiola Ajimobi, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala was not transparent enough in the arrangement that transferred shares of the enterprise to the leasees. This led to a revocation of the licences of the previous buyers and the bidding was done all over again.

Despite the shortcomings and setbacks still being witnessed by the one of the oldest recreational parks in Nigeria, it is heartening to realise that the legacies of the founding fathers are gradually being revived again.