Governor Biodun Oyebanji has expressed the readiness of his government to collaborate with the Federal Ministry of Tourism to harness and develop the untapped tourism potential of Ekiti State and turn it into a leading tourism destination in the country.
Governor Oyebanji revealed this on Monday during the 6th edition of Hike Ekiti Mountain Safari, which took place at Abanijorin Mountain and Cave in Iyin-Ekiti.
The event was attended by the Minister of Tourism, Mrs Lola Ade-John; Ekiti State Deputy Governor, Monisade Afuye; Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Adeoye Aribasoye; and Director General of NIHOTOUR, Alhaji Nura Kangiwa, among others.
The governor said a properly harnessed tourism industry can reshape the economy and improve the revenue base of the state, stressing that Ekiti State would leverage tourism to attract investment, create jobs, boost the local economy and drive the shared prosperity agenda of his administration.
“I’m so excited that, finally, we are giving life to this programme. It started six years ago and I know and am convinced that if we are going to drive our shared prosperity agenda in Ekiti State, tourism is a critical factor in ensuring that we provide jobs, create wealth and also emplaced a healthy and productive society.
“As a government, we have charged the Bureau of Tourism Development to create a desirable tourism masterplan for the state, because that is what is going to drive our intervention in the tourism sector and we will further collaborate with the Federal Ministry of Tourism by ensuring that we align our own plan with their own so that together we can create an enabling environment for our people to prosper,” the governor stated.
Earlier in her remarks, the Minister of Tourism, Mrs Lola Ade-John, noted that “collaboration among government entities, tourism agencies, business and communities globally is crucial for promoting sustainable tourism in Ekiti State and beyond.”
