Oyo State Government Declares Five Tourism Sites Ready for Investment

The Oyo state government, under Governor Seyi Makinde, has declared five tourism sites ready for investment. The governor made this declaration at the International Tourism Summit Oyo State 2025, where he outlined the state's commitment to integrating tourism with urban renewal, infrastructure upgrades, youth employment, community-led conservation, and diaspora partnerships. The governor emphasized that the goal is to build a tourism economy that funds itself and the future of the state, highlighting the importance of innovation, infrastructure, and people's prosperity.

Key Takeaways:

• Five tourism sites in Oyo State are ready for investment, including Eleyele Lake and Idere Hills.
• The Oyo State government has integrated tourism with urban renewal, infrastructure upgrades, youth employment, community-led conservation, and diaspora partnerships.
• The government has established a Tourism Investor Liaison Unit to facilitate investment and support investors in navigating the investment process.
• The Tourism Compact is a new approach to tourism investment, where major MOUs will be tied to clear, enforceable agreements.
• The government has committed to transparent communication, with a Tourism Investment Dashboard to display signed MOUs, current status, contact officers, and government commitments.
• Institutional bottlenecks had hindered the progress of the Agodi Gardens project, but the governor has assured that the issues will be resolved and the project will move forward.

Statistics:

• Five tourism sites in Oyo State are ready for investment.
• The Oyo State government has established a Tourism Investor Liaison Unit within the Oyo State Investment and Public-Private Partnership Agency (OYSIPA).
• The Tourism Compact is a short, 5-page agreement that spells out project goals, timelines, land status, milestones, and penalties for non-performance.
• A Tourism Investment Dashboard will go live next month, displaying every signed MOU, current status, contact officers, and government commitments met or pending.
• The government is committed to transparent communication, with a service standard of 72-hour response time to all enquiries.

Sources:

• International Tourism Summit Oyo State 2025
• Governor Seyi Makinde's speech at the International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan
• Oyo State Government press release on the tourism summit