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AN ADDRESS BY THE GOVERNOR OF EKITI STATE,

HIS EXCELLENCY, DR KAYODE FAYEMI AT THE FORUM OF EKITI STATE TECHNICAL CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE ON CULTURE, ARTS AND TOURISM DEVELOPMENT HELD IN

ADO-EKITI ON

MONDAY, 12TH SEPTEMBER, 2011

PROTOCOL

It is my pleasure to welcome you all to this event. I consider this

gathering as very important considering the desire of this

government to turn around all areas of our existence as a state

not only to be an envy of others but also to be of benefit to our

people in their legitimate businesses to earn a decent living.

It is a statement of fact that Ekiti State is very rich in arts and

culture. In virtually all our towns, villages and settlements, there

 

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are amazing display of cultural heritage of the

people bound by an enviable history of civilization, love,

hospitality and zeal to communal survival. The values of the Ekiti

people as embedded in their dateless past are a major asset that

keeps the people going in spite of daunting challenges of

infiltrations of foreign culture and/or outright theft of our

artifacts.

Even when we were part of the old politico-geographic entities of

the Western Region, Western State and/or Ondo State, Ekiti

stood out as a unique, distinct and unmistakably insuppressible

people. These, of course, are great credentials that appear not to

have been fully tapped for their economic values.

Closely connected with our rich resources in tradition, arts and

culture is our great potentials in Tourism. This administration has

taken a cursory look at this direction and discovered very

 

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cheeringly that this sector has the capacity to turn

the entire state round as a catalyst of economic development if

fully utilized.

This forum is therefore a strategy by the government to put a

stake on a goldmine that we have commonly not taken a full

advantage of over the years. As a matter of fact, up till now, we

have only been celebrating the huge tourism potentials of Ekiti

State as evident in a rich culture, amazing natural sites and

hospitable people without transforming it maximally to a

corresponding economic advantage. These rich endowments are

still very largely latent, hence the motivation to select eminent

intellectuals and stakeholders in the sector and bring them

together as a Technical Consultative Committee with a charge to

evolve a Tourism Plan that can provide a practical connect

between pleasure and economic growth.

 

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I like to stress that Tourism is an attractive

tool for economic development. There are clear evidences that

many countries of the world have been able to attain economic

power and increase the living standard of their people through

the development of their tourist endowments. According to

available data, international tourist arrivals across the world in

1999 were estimated at 700 million resulting in over $500 billion

in Tourist receipts. In its 1999 Statistical Survey, the World Trade

Organisation (WTO), tourism generates nearly 250 million jobs all

over the world. Cultural-tourism in Nigeria is fast becoming an

alternative source of revenue generation to crude oil.

This administration has deliberately placed much premium on the

tourism sector hence its prominent place in the 8 Point Agenda of

the State Government. This importance can further be seen in the

creation of a full-fledged Ministry of Culture, Arts and Tourism

with a substantive Commissioner as well as a Special Adviser of

 

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cabinet rank to main Tourism Development. A

visit to Okogosi, Ipole-Iloro and some other tourist centres now

would convince you of our determination to place Ekiti State in

the global map of not only attractive but sustainable tourism. It

may interest you to note that these centres are already being

processed for listing in the World Heritage and Monuments list.

In recognition of the vital roles of security and infrastructure

among others in tourism development, this administration

procured communication gadgets and vehicles for the use of the

Nigeria Police to enhance their effective policing. We have also

embarked on the construction, reconstruction and rehabilitation

of urban and rural roads. This is all in an effort to make Ekiti

State attractive without any fear of insecurity. I want to use the

opportunity of this occasion to also call on individual and

corporate investors to take the advantage of the great potentials

 

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of the tourism industry of Ekiti State for investment.

No place can possibly bring better returns than what Ekiti State

offers.

Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, I want to urge you to discuss

frankly and come up with useful and workable suggestions

towards making Ekiti State a destination of choice in Tourism.

It is now pleasure to declare the forum to the glory of God and

the economic enhancement of Ekiti State, the Land of Honour.

Thank you and God bless.

 

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