Factories?: Ukpai set to build 120, 000 capacity church auditorium in Abia

 Factories Inconsequential: Ukpai set to build 120, 000 capacity church auditorium in Abia The Uma Ukpai Evangelistic Association has announ...

 Factories Inconsequential: Ukpai set to build 120, 000 capacity church auditorium in Abia

The Uma Ukpai Evangelistic Association has announced the groundbreaking ceremony for a $250 million church auditorium that would seat 120, 000 worshippers in Ohafia Local Government Area (LGA) of Abia State.

Designed in the frame of an indoor stadium, the auditorium is projected to be the largest church auditorium in the world.

The auditorium would be built within the proposed ‘Uma Ukpai Prayer City,’ according to the Abuja based project architects, Devinci Consulting.

The designers confirmed via email that the auditorium would be completed in 36 months taking into account what they termed ‘foreign logistics.’

Besides being a preacher, Rev. Ukpai is reported to have built several colleges in Nigeria and Ghana. The Uma Ukpai Prayer City will be his largest single project.

The architects stated that it would host not only the church auditorium but also event centres, meeting rooms, a clinic, three helipads, a petrol station, a hotel, offices and diverse parking lots.

In a statement made available to journalists, Ukpai forecasts that this project alone will generate hundreds of jobs and create a medium sized local economy in Ohafia.

In their explanation: “With this project, my annual conferences will finally have a suitable home, besides the number of jobs we expect to create with this alone. The ground breaking event is slated for Friday September 2, at the site of the project.”

According to Ukpai, 15 hectares of land have already been acquired for this project and a Contract for the construction has been awarded to the duo of Uhuru Global Construction Company as facilitator of the project and Habitat Universal Concept as the contractor.

The development came barely a week after Middle East carrier, Emirates Airlines, announced the suspension of flights to Nigeria effective September 1, 2022. The Dubai-based carrier linked the development to the inability to repatriate $85m ticket sales proceeds.

The International Air Transport Association, the Switzerland-based global body representing international airlines, had last week warned Nigeria that more carriers might suspend flights to Nigeria if the government failed to address the repatriation of the $464m trapped in Nigeria.