World Tourism Day 2023 Celebration: Edo Leveraging Rich Culture, Tourism to Boost Revenue, Drive Economy

The Edo State Commissioner for Arts, Culture and Tourism, Dr. Uyi Oduwa-Malaka, has said the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led administration has made tourism a major backbone of his reforms, leveraging the State’s rich arts, culture and tourism potential to boost its revenue and drive economic development and growth.

The Commissioner said this while delivering her speech at Ogba Zoological Garden and Parks, venue for the 2023 World Tourism Day celebration, with the theme, “Tourism and Green Investment.”

Noting that the government has prioritized the sector on the back of its enormous economic benefits, the Commissioner said the governor set up a Tourism Agency for effective operationalization of the tourism sector.

She said, “In Edo, we must lay the praise for our tourism development and budding success at the deserving feet of Governor Godwin Obaseki, who to begin with, made culture and tourism a major backbone of his seven-point agenda. He soon enough started to unfold his vision by building the Sir Victor Uwaifo Creative hub, the Museum of West African Arts (MOWAA), among other tourism infrastructure.

“We have a very engaging Heritage Policy process in place; engaging stakeholders in matters involving, identification, preservation and protection of our tangible and intangible heritage.”

Oduwa-Malaka further said the Obaseki-led administration is working with stakeholders to drive traffic to its heritage sites in the State, adding, “We are partnering with the hospitality industry, security outfits, and film producers. In the last one month, we have been involved in shooting two major films and I understand that about four others are incubating.”

In his keynote address, a tourism expert, Mallam Alasa Hanson Ikhelowa, who applauded the state government, acknowledged the deliberate and well-coordinated steps to develop the tourism sites in the State, noting, “Many of the tangible assets that abound in different States have not been fully developed. So also, the intangible assets should be worked on to turn them into a money spinning venture.”