Oyo State Governor, ‘Seyi Makinde, has announced a major shift in the state’s handling of tourism development, stating that the government is launching a tourism reset agenda, which encompasses a new blueprint on how the state will partner, deliver and communicate tourism.

The governor noted that tourism is not an afterthought for the state, but rather, a strategic lever for development, stating that the goal of his government is to build a strong tourism economy that can fund itself and the future of the state.

Makinde said this yesterday in his keynote address at the International Tourism Summit Oyo State 2025, held at the International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan (UI).

The three-day summit themed: “Invest in heritage, leave a legacy,” which began on July 22, 2025 with the tour of tourist sites in Oyo zone, followed by a tour of tourist sites in Ibadan zone on July 23, climaxed with the investors’ summit, where investors in the tourism sector and key players took part in pitch presentation, exhibition tour and panel discussion with the topic “Heritage as capital: Reimagining Africa’s Cultural Assets for Sustainable Growth.”

He said the step was to eliminate institutional bottlenecks and prevent mistrust in the sector.

Makinde emphasised that the programme was not merely a celebration of culture, but also a platform to showcase the state’s rich cultural heritage, highlighting the economic potential of tourism, a sector he said, Oyo State must fully embrace as a viable business venture.

These, according to him, include assuming direct oversight of the sector, establishing a dedicated tourism investor liaison unit, ensuring transparent communication, and introducing a fair and enforceable tourism compact.
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He also revealed that the state is close to finalising a new deal to upgrade Agodi Gardens into an international-standard tourist destination.

He added that to achieve the vision of building a strong tourism economy, the state is integrating tourism with urban renewal, infrastructure upgrades, youth employment, community-led conservation and Diaspora partnerships.

According to the governor, his administration has recognised that tourism is not about passive sightseeing, but also about immersive economies, jobs, infrastructure, identity and long-term prosperity, adding that the state has five tourism investment-ready sites, calling on investors to bring their best ideas, execution capacity and commitment to the state to flourish in the solid tourism economy being created in the state.

He also used the opportunity of the summit to clarify why work has not begun on Agodi Gardens despite the government signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with an investor last year, noting that the institutional bottlenecks hindering the process would be resolved and the project would move forward.