OSUN TARGETS N7.5BN IGR THROUGH TOURISM
The Governor of Osun State, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, is inviting private investors all over the world to come up with viable proposals, aimed at developing tourism in the state, with a view to achieving the state government target of increasing its internally generated revenue to N7.5 billion by 2015.
Speaking at the grand finale of the 2011 Osun Osogbo Festival, Aregbesola said that the state was now ripe for outstanding tourism development, adding that the present administration has resolved to accord tourism the attention it deserves.
Represented by his deputy, Otunba Titilayo Laoye-Tomori, the governor said 'our intention is to increase the revenue base to N7.5 billion by 2015 through tourism; our target is to bring 20,000 tourists from Diaspora by 2015'.
He noted that the situation of economy in Nigeria and Osun in particular as at today posed the need to pursue tourism as a viable economic industry which has the capability of transforming the country and raising the standard of living of the people, noting that tourism would compliment other economic activities to lift up the Nigeria economy.
According to him, 'There is the need to look for other beneficial areas to develop the economy of our state. Tourism will therefore complement other economic activities to lift up our economy if properly developed, marketed and promoted as done in the developed countries all over the world.'
The governor, who appealed to the Nigeria Tourism Development Commission to assist the state government to develop tourism, congratulated the people of Osun and Osogbo in particular for witnessing this year's Osun Osogbo festival.
In his own, the Minister for Culture, Tourism and National Orientation, Chief Edem Duke, said that for the fact that the state has developed the Osun Osogbo festival to international standard has indicated that Osun State is showing light to the rest of the world in the area of tourism.
The Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Olanipekun, commended the state government for making this year's festival more attractive through the face-lifting of the groove, appealing to the federal government to take the advantage of the cultural heritage and other tourist attraction centres in the state to develop the state.