Osun partners Sterling Bank, others to launch tourism master plan
Osun State Government has announced plans to launch a tourism master
plan known as ‘Culture and Tourism for Sustainable Economy’ (CUTOSEC)
on November 19, 2020 in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, in collaboration
with Sterling Bank Plc, Goge Africa, African Union ECOSSOC and La
Campagne Tropicana.
Governor Adegboyega Oyetola of Osun State, who disclosed this recently
in a statement in Osogbo, said the event would kick-start the aggressive
implementation of plans that would make Osun Sterling Tourism Vision
(OSTOV) 30-30 a reality.
According to the governor, OSTOV 30-30 would involve the development
of 30 projects that include development of sites and programmes across
the state into premium tourist destinations by 2030. This will make Osun
the foremost tourism hub in the country while creating a future of shared
prosperity for citizens of the state.
He said Osun State has abundant but untapped resources which the state
government plans to develop in partnership with players from the private
sector. “We have decided to partner with Sterling Bank Plc and other
players in the tourism sector to activate the potential of the state to
attract tourists from within and outside Nigeria.
“We are home to several important landmarks that form part of the
heritage of the Yoruba people and we are also blessed with many natural
endowments that are capable of attracting more than 7ve million tourists
annually.
It is our hope that Nigerians and foreigners alike would come on
pilgrimage to the state from 2021 to visit the various tourist sites that we
have earmarked for development in our master plan,” the governor said.
He added that the implementation of the master plan will help to develop
critical infrastructure, boost the state government’s revenue, create
thousands of jobs, and nurture a sense of cultural exchange between
foreigners and citizens of the state. He said the OSTOV 30-30 would also
empower youths and women and raise household incomes across all
urban, peri-urban, and rural communities in the state.
The state government will acquire the land for the projects, provide basic
infrastructure and ensure security while partners to the project would
provide funding, 7nancial advisory services, and marketing, among
others.
Ademola Adeyemi, Regional Business Executive, South West, Sterling
Bank Plc, said the bank is excited to be part of OSTOV 30-30 because the
project aligns with its purpose of enriching lives through 7nancial
intermediation in critical areas that create jobs, enable growth and
sustains wellbeing in rural and urban areas.
According to Ademola, collaboration with the Osun State Government is a
carefully thought out move which will take advantage of the immense
natural and cultural endowments of the state to stimulate economic
growth and development through ecotourism.
Osun State is home to Ile-Ife, the cradle of the Yoruba race. It has huge
tourism potential which is about to be harnessed for the socio-econ
