The Nigerian Association of Tour Operators (NATOP) has expressed its commitment to partnering with the Ogun State Government to develop the state’s tourism assets and boost visitor traffic.
The association made the promise during a courtesy visit to the state’s Commissioner for Tourism and Culture, Chief Sesan Abolaji Fagbayi. The visit, led by NATOP President, Mrs Bolaji Mustapha, took place as part of the association’s tour of Ogun State.
Mustapha said the familiarisation trip was part of efforts to better understand tourist attractions across Nigerian states and effectively market them.
“We, in the past, have been to states. We told the story of Ekiti, and the state has never remained the same. We have gone to Kwara, Plateau, Imo, and different places. This year, we have signed with Ondo State. We are having our Annual General Meeting (AGM) in July, in Ondo State. So, we hope one day, we will bring our AGM to Abeokuta. We are looking forward to that.
We want to partner with the government to actually promote the state. We spread all our tentacles, with the members’ connections and platforms. We feel this is the only way we can tell our stories to the people outside the country. That is why we decided to choose Abeokuta,” she said.
“We decided that we would go on a road journey so that we explore everywhere, look at where we can take people to. It is only when we know well about the products that we are pushing out that we can sell it right. If we don’t know where to take people to, how do we sell it to any tourist coming? So, we decided that we, as Nigerians, need to know well.”
She emphasised the need for tour operators to be familiar with attractions in order to effectively promote them to both local and inbound tourists. This, she said, required partnerships with state governments where the sites are located.
Also speaking, the association’s Vice President for the South West, Mr James Anago-Osho, urged the state to diversify its offerings beyond Olumo Rock.
“Our members know that there are certain visitors you have, especially international tourists, that are interested in cultural tourism. We have it here in Abeokuta.
Then, when we talk about Abeokuta, I always want to talk about the founders, the families, and the people who founded Abeokuta. I think this is an opportunity for the government to partner with each of these families and help develop family compounds. Some of them have antiques. They need to be upgraded. These are stories people want to hear. There are so many things, and today, we would be exploring them.”
Welcoming the NATOP team, Commissioner Fagbayi described the visit as timely, stating that Governor Dapo Abiodun had recently declared renewed focus on tourism development in the state.
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“We are very delighted with this kind of visit to the state and it is the kind of visit we are looking forward to because the government alone cannot do it.
I want to give kudos to the governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, who told us about three weeks ago that he is shifting his attention to the tourism sector. By May 29, he will be six years. He can use the remaining two years to focus on tourist sites, we will be glad.
And to show how serious he was, the next day he went on a visit to Olumo. When he got in there, he was disappointed. He said this cannot be under my watch. So, I told him this is what you gave to us to manage, and we have been trying our best to develop it. The following day, he shut that place down and said renovation should commence. He gave us two weeks.
He further said that we shouldn’t overflog Olumo Rock. He sent some of us out to look around Olumo, any of the family houses, any of the historical buildings, any of the families that are there – we should talk to them and find out how government can help them develop their sites so that by the time tourists leave Olumo, they will have places to visit.
We identified about five that day and discussed with them to know the cost of renovating these places so that we can push all these to the governor and see what he wants to do about it. Yes, we want to develop other tourist attractions different from Olumo, and we have so many even within Abeokuta. We have Yemoji River begging for attention. We have natural spring water at Imeko, first hospital in Nigeria.”
Sites visited during the NATOP tour included the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL), Ikija, Adire Mall and others.
