Hope has risen for the moribund Bowers Tower as the Governor Seyi Makinde-led administration has revealed plans to resuscitate the historic tourist site.
Bower’s Tower is one of the many tourist destinations that dotted the landscape of Oyo State, Nigeria. It sits at the top of Oke-Are, the highest hill in Ibadan, from which one enjoys a commanding view of the city.
The Tower is a historic monument put up to honour Captain Robert Lister Bower, the first British resident in Ibadan and the Travelling Commissioner, appointed by the British government for the interior of Yoruba land in 1936.
Bower’s Tower was designed by Taffy Jones, the engineer that designed Mapo Hall. It is 60 feet high and 11 feet square with two entrances and a spiral staircase that leads to the top of the tower.
However, the Tower is moribund, having suffered neglect from past administrations in the state.
Hon. Akeem Ademola Ige, the Senior Adviser to Governor Makinde on Culture and Tourism, who was on an assessment tour to the tourist site on Thursday, revealed the plans of Governor Makinde to resuscitate the historic Captain Bowers Tower, making it functional as a tourism site in Ibadan very soon.
Hon Ige, who disclosed this while speaking with journalists at the site, expressed his displeasure over the situation of the infrastructures at the site.
He said: “it is quite shameful that heritage of this magnitude is wasting away, having suffered neglect by previous administrations in the state. But we set to revive it, making it functional very soon, exploring it to generate more revenue for the state.
“His Excellency is determined to make Oyo State a preferred tourism destination for both local and foreign tourists. That is why we are not leaving any stone to unturn in developing the tourist sites in the state.
“A few weeks ago, we placed an advertisement on newspapers and some investors are already showing interest.”
Bower’s tower is the highest hilltop in Ibadan giving a panoramic view of the city and important points in the city like University College Hospital (UCH), University of Ibadan, Adebayo, Cocoa House, Dugbe Market, Agodi Gardens, Iwo Road, Ife Road, Olorunsogo and the defunct Lagos /Ibadan Toll Gate.
