02/02/2025
Hotel Unicoco: A Sleeping Giant Awakened
When I first made my post about Hotel Unicoco, I didn’t expect the kind of response it would get. But today, that once-forgotten hotel has become a tourist attraction, drawing content creators, music lovers, and history enthusiasts. People are now visiting just to catch a glimpse of the legendary place where so much history was made.
Visitors come to see:
The very stage where Oliver De Coque launched his international music career.
The spot where Fela Kuti performed at least 10 times throughout his career.
The venue where Osita Osadebe, Oriental Brothers, Paulson Kalu, and others played almost every week.
The historic setting of many People’s Club meetings, where Igbo elites gathered to celebrate life.
This isn’t just an old hotel—it is a piece of our history, a place that carries the soul of Igbo music and culture. But seeing people visit in numbers also brings one big question to mind: What next?
This is a golden opportunity for the owners or their children to bring Hotel Unicoco back to life. With the attention it is getting, it can be more than just an abandoned building; it can be restored into a cultural landmark, a place where history is preserved, and where the next generation can connect with the past. Imagine it as a museum, a performance space, or even a music academy—a place where the legacy of these legends continues to inspire.
Preserving Our Heritage
From July this year, by the grace of God, I will assemble Igbo History team on a mission to visit historical sites and the homes of our greats. We need to tell our own stories, to show the world how we lived before and after the Biafra Civil War, and to ensure these places don’t fade into oblivion.
Hotel Unicoco has been given a second chance. The question is, will those who own it take the bold step to revive it? The time is now. Let’s not let this history slip away again.