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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
are amazing display of cultural heritage of the people bound by
an enviable history of civilization, love, hospitality and zeal to

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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
cheeringly that this sector has the capacity to turn the entire
state round as a catalyst of economic development if fully utilized.

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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.
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

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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
cabinet rank to main Tourism Development. A visit to Okogosi,
Ipole-Iloro and some other tourist centres now would convince

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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
of the tourism industry of Ekiti State for investment. No place can
possibly bring better returns than what Ekiti State offers.

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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