Oyo unveils 25-year master plan to boost tourism investments

Oyo State is transitioning from tourism potential to policy execution with the launch of an ambitious 25-year Tourism Master Plan and the Eleyele Lake Development Framework.

Unveiled during the 3rd International Tourism Summit in Ibadan, the roadmap provides a long-term strategic blueprint designed to transform the state’s creative economy into a primary driver of sub-national GDP.

According to Kola Lawal, a member of the Tourism Master Plan Committee, the project is anchored on a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model that offers significant incentives for investors.

The plan targets the development of at least 33 distinct tourism resources, with Ibadan designated as the central “creative economy hub” for film, music, fashion, and performing arts, amongst others.

To ensure the project outlives current political cycles, Lawal disclosed that the state is adopting a “Rapid Expansion Model” divided into three critical phases: a foundational pilot stage, a cluster development stage, and a final phase focused on global positioning.

This structured approach aims to build a sustainable and resilient ecosystem that thrives independently of administrative changes.

The results of this “groundwork” are already reflected in the data. Since the inception of Governor Seyi Makinde’s administration, visitor numbers have surged from a modest 1,600 to over 18,000. During the same period, the hospitality sector saw exponential growth, expanding from 1,320 businesses to more than 12,000 across the state.

At the Summit, Governor Seyi Makinde laid out a vision themed “From Groundwork to Governance,” arguing that for tourism to become a viable economic pillar, it must move beyond “sweet talk” and into institutionalized systems.

The 20-Year Lesson: The Circular Road

Governor Makinde cited the 110-kilometer Ibadan Circular Road—conceived in the early 2000s but stalled for two decades across five administrations—as a cautionary tale of “scuttled progress.”

“Progress driven solely by leadership is not enough because leadership changes,” Makinde told investors. “If I make a mistake, it’s a one-day event, but the impact lasts four years. We are building structures that ensure progress does not depend on individuals. This is institutionalization.”

To prove this isn’t just theory, the Governor highlighted the 25-year Tourism Master Plan and the recent signing of a 15-year concession agreement with SystemSpecs Ltd for the redevelopment of the iconic Bower’s Tower.

A key highlight of the administration’s “groundwork” is the 180-kilometer stretch of pothole-free state roads connecting Moniya, Iseyin, Ogbomoso, and Oyo. This connectivity is designed to shrink the travel time between heritage sites like the Iyake Suspended Lake and creative hubs like the KAP Film Village in Igbojaiye.

Abigail Anaba, Secretary of the #ITSOyoState2026 Organizing Committee, noted that while the state boasts 90-year-old landmarks and world-renowned festivals like the World Twins Festival in Igbo-Ora, “attractions on their own do not create value.”

“What creates value is structure; what sustains it is governance,” Anaba stated, marking the shift from the alignment focus of 2024 to the institutional coordination of 2026.

To lure private capital, the state is moving away from showcasing assets to governing a tourism economy. By engaging all 33 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in a unified framework, the state ensures that “no place is too far” as long as there is infrastructural connectivity.

“When you engage with Oyo State, you are engaging with a system,” Makinde concluded. “Your investments are not dependent on personalities but supported by structures. This means your risks are greatly reduced.”