The economy of Oyo State has witnessed real growth on the watch of Governor Seyi Makinde, with more investors coming to the state and the living standards getting better.
This was the submission of Toyin Odugbesan, co-convener of the E Kaabo Trade Show, in an interview with The People’s Verdict.
E Kaabo is an annual event that promotes tourism in Oyo State.
She said, “In all fairness, the economy has really improved, except that nobody wants to say otherwise. As businesses spring up, more job opportunities will also be provided. When people have decent jobs, more families can afford to send their children to school. It trickles down. Sometimes, you might not be able to measure it directly as a percentage, but it has a whole lot of impact that it’s making at the end of the day.”
According to the tourism enthusiast, “A whole lot has happened under Governor Makinde because we now have more roads and the roads are also wider. When it comes to tourism and hospitality, accessibility is key, and that is part of what is happening. Another thing is also the security. Now we have our own Amotekun, which was not there before. This means that people can feel more secure when entering the state. There is also an airport upgrade planned, which is expected to increase traffic. Now, the railway is operational, and we see a lot of tourists coming in from Lagos to Ibadan on Fridays and returning on Sundays. So, I would say that accessibility, security, and the healthcare system are also improving. I mean, the state government hospitals are also improving.
“Because of the friendly environment, we now have more investors coming into the state. We have a greater number of hotels compared to before, and when you have hotels, restaurants, and lounges, it means more job creation opportunities for our people. If we are talking about more job creation, it means that there is economic growth for the state. So, I would say that the things Governor Seyi Makinde has done for the state have increased revenue for individuals, families, and even the government. Even our public schools have been upgraded. There’s one currently going on now around Mokola. They are already remodelling it, some furniture items are also being distributed to some of these schools and education is actually key when it comes to us having a sane society, which is part of what this administration is doing – infrastructure, the roads, we now have better roads.
“Currently, they are already fixing some of these roads that link the major tourism sites, even outside Ibadan. So, it’s beyond the city; it is extending to the state and all that. So they’ve been able to do a whole lot of things.”
Odugbesan, who noted that an enabling environment is a precursor to business and economic growth, lauded Governor Makinde for providing the necessary environment for businesses to thrive in the state.
She added, “The more we have enabling environments, the better it is for our businesses. These policies are things that even future administrations can also decide to imbibe. For instance, we have the Oyo State Agenda 2040 and tourism is part of those things we’re looking at ways of improving. Tourism actually is regarded as the bedrock of any nation that decides to take advantage of it. This is really good. It is a good step towards sustainable development. Like E Kaabo, this is another initiative that started two years ago, and this year marks its third anniversary. ‘E Kaabo’ means ‘welcome’. But in a way, it is beyond that; it shows how hospitable we can be as a people.
“If you look at the policy that the government is currently working on, it’s the PPP, saying that let the private sector come on board and run the business of government because government has no business in doing business and the way to go is when the private sector is fully involved in the public space. Therefore, the private sector must collaborate with the public sector to achieve seamless integration, making it easier. That is when every key stakeholder will be able to work together for sustainable development.”
The social entrepreneur described Governor Makinde as an exceptional leader.
“He is exceptional, his administrative style is exceptional, and so is his personality. This administration is good, it’s amazing, and that’s the simple truth.”
