Following dwindling allocation from the Federal government and Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) coupled with outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, Oyo state government is set to utilise and harness her tourist sites for the revenue-generating sector.
Oyo State is blessed with diverse traditional elements and tourist sites which when utilized and harnessed, would attract investors, provide employment, and increase the IGR of the state.
The pacesetter state has about 1,115 tourist sites in which some are owned by the State, communities, and individuals.
Among those owned by Oyo State is the Captain Bower’s Tower at Oke-Are in Ibadan, Agodi Garden, Cultural Center is on the Mokola Hill, Mapo Hall is at Oja-Oba in Ibadan and Ado-Awaye Suspended Lake at Ado-Awaye.
Also, Royal Forest at Igboho, Iyamapo Hill at Igbeti, Alaafin Palace, Irefin Palace, Cocoa House among others.
Wasiu Olatubosun, Commissioner for Information Culture and Tourism, said the state has tourism potentials that could yield enough income and also generate employment if private investors and corporate bodies could collaborate with the present administration to develop the tourism sites.
“It is no news that Oyo State possesses more traditional elements that always attract foreign and local interests as well as tourism sites that when harnessed, will bring enough fund to the State and booster its IGR, countries like Israel, Kenya, Italy and others do not rely on petroleum to survive, they use tourism to drive revenue.
“We are replicating same in Oyo State and it shall be successful with the conscious collaboration of corporate interests and organizational support for the government in the areas of revamping, redesigning and facelifting our major traditional programmes and tourist-attractive sites, Ado-Awaye suspended lake is one site that has no equal in Africa, even United Nations should show interest.
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Olatubosun stated this during a courtesy visit by the Federation of Tourism Association of Nigeria (FTAN) to his office, where he said the present government in the State was committed to partnering with groups, associations, corporate bodies and individuals who are into the development of culture and tourism potentials which are embedded in Oyo State.
“Governor Seyi Makinde has shown great interest in building the tourism industry to become a revenue-generating sector in the State, that is a quality of a leader that sees into the future and sees potentials for solutions where others are lamenting,” he said.
The Commissioner also assured the association of the readiness of the State Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism to partner with them in promoting the culture and tourist potentials around the State while also working together to promote the activities of the association through the Ministry’s various media platforms.
In his remarks, the Vice President Southwest Zone of FTAN, Ayo Olumoko, who spoke on behalf of the team promised a robust relationship with Oyo State government through the Ministry so that activities in the tourism sector would not be hijacked by miscreants.
Olumoko said the purpose of the visit was to acquaint the State government, through the Ministry, of their efforts at sanitizing the tourism industry in Nigeria and put in place a structured executive body in each State to oversee its activities in line with the mandate of the association.
He however expressed profound gratitude for the warm reception they got from the Ministry, saying that the association has been in existence in the past 23 years and has chapters of the association in all the 36 states of the federation.
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