Edo state government has established a tourism agency as part of efforts to diversify the state’s revenues away from oil dependence.
The remit of the agency will be to promote the state as a preferred tourism destination in the country, says its pioneer acting managing director Obehi Aire-Okafor.
The Edo state tourism agency was established following a proclamation through an executive order by Governor Godwin Obaseki.
The acting managing director had served as the chairperson of the sub-committee of the Edo state steering committee in charge of infrastructure and corporate stakeholder engagement in the last two years.
In the role, she was able to get in-principle commitments of major corporates cutting across key sectors of the economy, to partner with the state government in ensuring a smooth and seamless take-off of the agency.
Already, the state government has carried out an in-depth analysis of the potential of tourism in Edo state and the state now has a tourism masterplan developed by Verraki, the management consulting firm.
The acting managing director of the agency is an accomplished lawyer with degrees from both the University of Lagos and Queen Mary, University of London and spent considerable time in project management in the real estate sector in Nigeria and abroad.
She is passionate about corporate governance, transparency and accountability and part of her initial work will involve using cutting edge technology and virtual channels to make Edo state a significant player in the tourism sector in West Africa by highlighting the state’s unique culture, history and pleasant people.
The acting managing director held a well-attended business session in Lagos last week at which she made a pitch on behalf of the agency.
The dinner held at Capital Club on Victoria Island was attended by diplomats, company CEOs, bankers as well as investment advisers and heads of major international airlines based in Nigeria.
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