Oyo State governor, ‘Seyi Makinde, has announced a major shift in the state’s handling of tourism development, stating that the government is launching a Tourism Reset Agenda, which encompasses a new blueprint on how the state will partner, deliver and communicate tourism.
The governor noted that tourism is not an after-thought for the state, but rather, a strategic lever for development, stating that the goal of his government is to build a strong tourism economy that can fund itself and the future of the state.
Governor Makinde said this on Thursday, during his keynote address at the International Tourism Summit Oyo State 2025, held at the International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan, Ibadan.
The three-day summit with the theme: “Invest in heritage, leave a legacy,” which began on July 22 with the tour of tourist sites in Oyo zone, followed by a tour of tourist sites in Ibadan zone on July 23, climaxed with the investors’ summit, where investors in the tourism sector and key players took part in pitch presentation, exhibition tour and panel discussion with the topic “Heritage as capital: Reimagining Africa’s Cultural Assets for Sustainable Growth.”
Welcoming investors to the epochal event, Governor Makinde noted that the convening of the summit showed that heritage has value and that tourism is a serious business in which Oyo State must no longer be left behind.
He added that in order to achieve the vision of building a strong tourism economy, the state is integrating tourism with urban renewal, infrastructure upgrades, youth employment, community-led conservation and diaspora partnerships.
According to the governor, his administration has recognised that tourism is not about passive sightseeing, but about immersive economies, jobs, infrastructure, identity and long-term prosperity.
Governor Makinde added that the state has five tourism investment-ready sites, calling on investors to bring their best ideas, execution capacity and commitment to the state with a view to flourishing in the solid tourism economy being created in the state.
Explaining the Tourism Reset Agenda, the governor stated that “it is built on five executive-level commitments, each designed to clear the path for tourism investment to thrive.
“We call it the Tourism Reset Agenda — a new blueprint for how we partner, deliver, and communicate in Oyo State. It is built on five executive-level commitments, each designed to clear the path for tourism investment to thrive.
“These are, Commitment 1: Direct Executive Oversight of the Tourism Sector. At the 2025 mid-year Executive Council review, I moved the Ministry of Culture and Tourism under my direct supervision. This means all tourism-linked projects, proposals, and approvals will now be coordinated under the Office of the Governor. The Honourable Commissioner will report directly to me, removing unnecessary layers and allowing fast, decisive action when needed.
“Commitment 2: Tourism Investor Liaison Unit: We know that navigating government desks can feel like a rollercoaster ride. That ends now. We have created a dedicated Tourism Investor Liaison Unit within the Oyo State Investment and Public-Private Partnership Agency (OYSIPA) — your single-entry point for all tourism-related investment matters.
“This unit will help you to navigate permits, process documentation, access project updates and resolve concerns quickly.
“We are setting a service standard of 72-hour response time to all enquiries. If you experience delays beyond that, you may escalate directly to my communication team through the state’s official feedback platform.
“Commitment 3: The Tourism Compact. Going forward, there are no more paper promises. From this summit forward, every major tourism MoU will be tied to a clear, enforceable Tourism Compact — a short, 5-page agreement that spells out project goals, timelines, land status, milestones, penalties for non-performance — by both parties.
“Commitment 4: Transparent Communications. We cannot fix what we do not track and we cannot build trust in silence. That is why we are committing to transparent communication on all tourism-linked investments. Dr Sulaimon Olanrewaju, my Special Adviser on Media will coordinate this to ensure timely, accurate, and proactive updates.
“A Tourism Investment Dashboard will go live next month, displaying every signed MoU, current status (green, amber, red), contact officers and government commitments met or pending. This will be publicly accessible via the tourism website. Transparency is not a bonus — it is the new baseline.
“So, to our partners, both local and global — this is your moment. You now have executive oversight, a single-entry point, a formal compact model and real-time transparent reporting.
“What we ask in return is simple; bring your best ideas, bring your execution capacity. Bring your commitment to the people of Oyo State, because in Oyo State, tourism is not an afterthought — it is a strategic lever for development.
“With five investment-ready sites — from Eleyele Lake to Idere Hills — we are integrating tourism with urban renewal, infrastructure upgrades, youth employment, community-led conservation and Diaspora partnerships.
“The goal is clear: to build a tourism economy that funds itself and funds our future. Let me close with a line you may have heard earlier in today’s pitch session. The future of heritage is not nostalgia; it is strategy and in Oyo State — it is investable.
“We are not promising perfection; we are committing to performance and we are choosing transparency over theatrics. If you have been watching from the sidelines — this is your call. Let us build a legacy together.”
The governor also used the opportunity of the summit to clarify why work has not begun on Agodi Gardens despite the government signing a Memorandum of Understanding with an investor last year, noting that the institutional bottlenecks hindering the process would be resolved and the project would move forward.
“Many of you were here last year when I stood on this same stage and proudly announced that Agodi Gardens had secured an investor. That announcement was not a gimmick. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed. The team was ready. The vision was clear. Yet, over a year later — that project has not broken ground.
“Why? Let us call it what it is: institutional bottlenecks; a breakdown between intent and implementation. But they are not issues that cannot be resolved. So, once again, let me give the assurance that the issues will be resolved and we will move forward with that project,” the governor added.
The summit featured goodwill messages from foreign and local tourism investors, with different state government functionaries pitching the state’s investment-ready tourist sites to those in attendance.
Director-General of the Oyo State Investment and Public Private Partnerships Agency, Mr Tilewa Folami, delivered the pitch on Eleyele Lake with the theme: Discover Blue Gold (Leisure, lifestyle and waterfront investment in Ibadan), while the Executive Adviser to the Governor on Agribusiness, International Development and Cooperation, Dr Debo Akande, delivered a pitch on Ibadan Cultural Centre with the theme “Stage the future, transforming legacy infrastructure into a modern performance economy.
Similarly, Executive Adviser to the Governor on New Towns and Cities, Mrs Mofoluke Adebiyi, delivered the pitch on Bower’s Tower with the theme “The view that pays, scenic tourism meets soft infrastructure returns,” while the Special Adviser to the Governor on International Trade and AfCTA, Ms Neo Theodore Tlhaselo, delivered the pitch on Idere Hills and Iyake Suspended Lake, with the theme “Climb into nature’s ROI, eco-tourism as a sustainable growth corridor.”
Also at the panel discussion, discussants made a strong case for heritage as economic infrastructure and tool for cross-border collaboration.
The event was attended by the Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Barr. Bayo Lawal; Speaker of the House of Assembly, Rt Hon Adebo Ogundoyin; Secretary to the State Government, Prof Olanike Adeyemo; Chief of Staff, Otunba Segun Ogunwuyi; Deputy Chief of Staff, Hon. Kazim Adeniyi; commissioners and other government functionaries.
Co-chairman of the Oyo State Elders’ Council, Dr Saka Balogun; as well as topmost traditional rulers across the state were also in attendance.
