Dr Ajibade Adedayo Adeladan, one of the shortlisted 65 candidates out of the 198 applicants for the vacant stool of Alaafin of Oyo, has stressed the need for the establishment of a palace museum and serious agro-tourism engagement as a need to tap into the endless potentialities of Oyo town, formerly known as Oyo Empire, to aid the country’s economy and Africa at large.
Prince Adelana made this assertion during an interactive session with REPORTERS AT LARGE in Ibadan: The rich cultural and traditional heritage of the Oyo Empire needs to be preserved in a palace museum as a contribution to the tourism sector of Africa.
He said, “The last Alaafin was very big in promoting culture; the intention is to continue that tradition of encouraging more tourists to the town. There is also a need to promote cultural tourists and academic researchers to Oyo town for, most importantly, educational purposes.
“History remains visible in Oyo as cultural artefacts, objects, and materials must be kept away from destruction, extinction, and possibly theft. The security and preservation of our heritage can bring the old glory of the Oyo Empire, as the 21st century remains bounded by the actualisation of dreams.
“If the tourism potentialities of Oyo town are consciously and intentionally harnessed, they can generate twice more than oil and gold combined. The geographical description of the old Oyo Empire from River Niger in the North to the Atlantic Ocean in Lagos, and gives much insight into the economic prosperity of the average Oyo person.
He also noted, “Oyo land of today is a fruitful one, and engaging the land modernly for agricultural purposes remains the noblest contribution to humanity in the face of hunger. I live in Nebraska, and I saw what farmers did to their lands. I created a relationship with them to the point that I was the only Black doctor in the hospital to treat people in a society of farmers. This is where I established my love for agriculture because there are a lot of farmers. I have many friends that are farmers. The rate of hunger in Africa is terribly high, and applying the 21st technological and scientific mindset to the agricultural sector can feed the entire country.
