That tourism stays an untapped gold mine throughout Nigeria’s socio-economic and cultural panorama is stating the apparent. However what won’t be so identified to hundreds of thousands of the residents, together with the coverage makers are the pragmatic insurance policies, applications and tasks to function the proper steps to take; to bridge the hole which at the moment exists between the immense pure potentials and the actualised revenues and inputs from the numerous sector.
Although probably the most visited locations by worldwide vacationer arrivals in 2024 as revealed by Lewis Nunn, the Senior Journey Editor with Forbes Journal embrace France with 100 million guests, Spain with 94 million, the USA,72.4 million, Italy 69.5 million adopted by Turkey with 52.6 million whereas the Journey business pumped $11.1 trillion into international financial system Nigeria didn’t rank amongst the highest 10 most visited international locations in Africa in 2024.
“Now we have a number of vacationer websites within the state that may assist us create extra jobs for our folks, increase our financial system and generate income” – Gov. Fortunate Aiyedatiwa (Talking on the ninth Annual Normal Assembly and Convention of the Nigeria Affiliation of Tour Operators (NATOP), July, 2025)
On the continent Morocco topped with 17.4 million vacationers, adopted by Egypt, 15.7 million; Tunisia, 10.25 million and South Africa, 8.92 million In actual fact, Nigeria ranked twelfth with 1.2 million vacationers principally pushed by diaspora visits, enterprise, and cultural occasions. Whereas the nation recorded a complete of 528,000 vacationers in 2022, rating 88th on the planet that determine elevated to 1.2 million worldwide guests, and three million home journeys equating to twenty% rise in 2023.
That was in line with the then Minister of Tourism, Mrs. Lola Ade-John. She disclosed this in the course of the twentieth version of the AKWAABA African Journey and Tourism Market, held in Lagos. However one state that’s poised to be a game-changer in Nigeria’s tourism spectrum is none aside from the acclaimed Sunshine State, Ondo situated within the South-West geo-political zone.
Given its scenic, various panorama with the tempting terrain from the rolling hills, verdant valleys throughout the fertile forests to the aquatic splendor of the Atlantic Ocean boasting of the longest shoreline in West Africa, Ondo state is taken into account a main tourism funding vacation spot.
That’s extra so as a result of its wealth of pure and cultural sources, providing an attractive alternative for tourism buyers. Title them; from the Araromi White Sand Seaside to the Idanre Hills Vacationer Centre and the Ebomi Lake Vacationer Centre, Obdo State has all these and extra. Locations comparable to Igbo Olodumare. Smokin Hill Golf Resort and Oke Maria (Christian Pilgrimage centre) are spell-bing locations as memorable treats for guests from throughout the globe. In actual fact, Idanre is a perfect web site for top altitude sport, coaching, gaming, journey, rest, picnicking, management coaching and holidaying.
However how can we harness them for the state’s sustainable financial progress? That’s the million-naira, sorry, greenback query. Nicely conscious of those large potentials, the state governor, Fortunate Aiyedatiwa has pledged that his administration was prepared to maximise the tourism potentials for financial progress of the Ondo. He gave the peace of mind on the ninth annual common assembly and convention of the Nigeria Affiliation of Tour Operators (NATOP), held on the Worldwide Tradition and Occasions Centre (The Dome) in Akure, in July,2025. He acknowledged the immense contribution of tourism to the Gross Home Product (GDP) of any nation. Represented by his deputy, Olayide Adelami, the governor mentioned his administration was deeply specializing in preserving the present vacationer websites in Ondo state with the intention to appeal to native and overseas vacationers. In particular time period, he said that: “Websites just like the Idanre Hills, Araromi Seaside, Igbo Olodumare and Ebomi Lake, amongst others, would quickly obtain consideration. We are going to maximize our tourism potential for financial progress.” And strolling the discuss on the guarantees made, Governor Aiyedatiwa has gone forward to award contract based mostly on Public Non-public Partnership (PPP) for large development of recreation centres in addition to inns, chalets to accommodate guests to Idanre Hills from throughout the globe. It’s a related one for the Araromi Obuh on the Atlantic Bar Seaside as a world vacationer web site. Positioned near the state’s modular oil refinery with a capability of 500,000 barrels per day, it should little doubt appeal to vacationers.
Of curiosity too is the bobbing up of a number of top-class inns in locations comparable to Akure, Ondo, Okitipupa, Ikare and Ore, that connects the South West to the South East.
All these, as confirmed by the Commissioner for Info and Orientation, Idowu Ajanaku will help to open up the cities to harness their potentials as cultural locations. Talking on how Ondo State may leverage the accessible tourism potentials, an indigene who occurs to be the Convener, Vacation spot Nigeria Governors’ Tourism Convention (DNGRC), Ambassador Ayo Omotoso insists that the state has a stupendous place within the international tourism map, that’s, if correctly harnessed. That’s extra so within the improvement and showcasing areas of vacationer locations, cultural spectacles and agritourism.
Describing tourism as common and a software to create wealth; which contributes to the nation’s GDP he believes that Ondo State particularly and Nigeria at massive have what it takes to be reckoned with as locations comparable to Malaysia, Jordan, Scandinavian international locations, South Africa, Jerusalem, Mecca, and Dubai, all of which earn large incomes from tourism.
In keeping with him, the tourism template of Ondo State is value 29 billion {dollars} and might generate employment for a million youths. The key tourism signature amongst them is Idanre Hills, which is 3,000 ft. above sea degree and is listed on a UNESCO heritage web site. He desires it to be correctly marketed across the scenic fantastic thing about the hilly city of Idanre, celebrating nature’s reward and offering a viable vacation spot for vacationers. Equally, Oke Maria is a spiritual vacation spot ready for branding and different tourism gildings much like how Israel sells main non secular vacationer centres, together with Jerusalem to the remainder of the world.
On the cultural sights of Ondo state there are colourful ones just like the Igogo competition which is already on the world’s tourism map in addition to the Eginmogun Pageant. Notably, the eco-tourism potential ranges from mineral sources to the seaside shoreline.
The coastal space improvement too will generate funds much like what occurs in Florida, in the USA prospers by tourism. On agritourism the thought of Ile-Oluji Cocoa Powder, a tea with an excellent pure style is a welcome improvement. With it the folks can combine it with a tourism as it’s achieved in Kenya and plenty of East African international locations.
Farmers and ranchers use this curiosity to develop visitors at their farms or ranch and curiosity within the high quality of their merchandise. Tourism, as Omotoso views it is sort of a flame that after you gentle it, it brings improvement to the entire geographical area.
Ok, Governor Aiyedatiwa is lightening up the area by the partnership the state has with the World Financial institution, Federal Ministry of Agriculture, and Meals Safety, to coach and empower over 34,000 livestock farmers of the state on livestock productiveness.
It additionally has one with the Czech Republic for a strategic diplomatic engagement geared toward enhancing financial progress, technological switch, and worldwide cooperation, involving international buyers and entrepreneurs, geared toward unlocking the state’s huge financial potentials.
With huge infrastructural improvement opening up the vacationer locations all the way down to the agricultural areas and peace assured the dream of turning Ondo State into a world vacation spot has began to see the sunshine of the day. flame; the second you gentle it, it brings improvement to the entire geographical area. Ok, Gov. Aiyedatiwa is lightening up the area by the partnership the state has with the World Financial institution, Federal Ministry of Agriculture, and Meals Safety, to coach and empower over 34,000 livestock farmers of the state on livestock productiveness.
And naturally, that with the Czech Republic for a strategic diplomatic engagement geared toward enhancing financial progress, technological switch, and worldwide cooperation, involving international buyers and entrepreneurs, geared toward unlocking the state’s huge financial potentials.
With huge infrastructural improvement opening up the vacationer locations, all the way down to the agricultural areas and peace assured, the dream of turning Ondo State into a world vacation spot has began to see the sunshine of day.
