Action Alliance governorship candidate in Oyo State, Comrade Sikiru Bayo Titilola-Sodo, has unveiled a tourism development plan he said would increase internally generated revenue, attract private investment and create jobs if elected governor in 2027.
Titilola-Sodo presented the proposal while speaking with journalists in Ibadan on Saturday, identifying tourism as a potential driver of economic growth and a way of reducing the state’s dependence on federal allocations.
The former labour leader said his proposed administration would deliberately fund the tourism sector, establish clear public-private partnership arrangements, develop a legal framework for the industry and entrust its management to trained professionals.
“We shall deliberately fund the tourism sector to deepen the economy of Oyo State,” Titilola-Sodo said.
He identified Idere Hills in Ibarapa, the Iyake Suspended Lake at Ado-Awaye and tourism attractions across Oke-Ogun as sites with significant economic potential that require greater investment and development.
Titilola-Sodo said his administration would encourage private investors to establish hotels, resorts and rest areas close to major tourist destinations.
Under the proposed arrangement, he said government would concentrate on essential infrastructure, including access roads, security, electricity and proper land documentation, while private investors would construct and manage hospitality facilities.
“Government has no business running hotels directly, but it must create the right environment for private capital,” he said.
“We will encourage PPP arrangements so visitors have comfortable places to stay. People shouldn’t just visit our sites for two hours and leave; they need to stay overnight, spend money in local communities, and want to return.”
The proposal comes as tourism remains part of Oyo State’s existing economic development agenda. The state government has previously identified several attractions, including Iyake Suspended Lake and Idere Hills, for rehabilitation and redevelopment through public-private partnerships.
Titilola-Sodo said another challenge facing the sector was policy instability and bureaucratic bottlenecks, which he argued could discourage long-term investment.
He therefore proposed working with the Oyo State House of Assembly to enact a comprehensive tourism law that would regulate operators, protect investors and provide continuity for tourism policies across successive administrations.
The AA candidate also promised to professionalise the management of the sector by placing tourism administration, promotion and policy development in the hands of trained practitioners rather than political appointees.
“We will work directly with specialists and key stakeholders in the industry to handle the sector,” he said.
“Square pegs will no longer sit in round holes. The practitioners who understand international standards and market realities will take charge of our state’s tourism board.”
Titilola-Sodo said his tourism strategy would cover Ibadan, Oke-Ogun, Ogbomoso, Oyo and Ibarapa, with an emphasis on connecting rural tourism destinations to urban hospitality markets.
He said the approach would create opportunities for residents around tourist sites through accommodation, transportation, food services, crafts and other businesses.
According to him, developing tourism outside Ibadan would also help stimulate rural economies and reduce the movement of young people from smaller communities to urban centres in search of jobs.
Titilola-Sodo resigned as Special Adviser on Labour Matters to Governor Seyi Makinde in June 2026 to pursue his governorship ambition under the Action Alliance. He subsequently emerged as the party’s consensus candidate for the 2027 election.
His tourism proposal adds another economic policy plank to his campaign as political parties and candidates continue presenting their programmes ahead of the Oyo governorship election.
