Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi on tourism to his region

Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi gives a summary of the highs and lows of tourism to his Nigerian state to a local business publication.

Ekiti State is a state in western Nigeria, declared a state on October 1, 1996 alongside five others by the military under the dictatorship of General Sani Abacha. The state, carved out of the territory of old Ondo State, covers the former twelve local government areas that made up the Ekiti Zone of old Ondo State. On creation, it took off with sixteen (16) Local Government Areas (LGAs), having had an additional four carved out of the old ones.

Ekiti State is one of the thirty-six states (Federal Capital Territory (Nigeria)) that constitute Nigeria. Ekiti State is reputed to have produced the highest number of professors in Nigeria. Several pioneers academics are from the state. Pioneers like Profs Adegoke Olubummo( One of the 1st Nigerian Professors in the field of Mathematics), Adeyinka Adeyemi(1st Professor of Architecture in West Africa). Others include renowned academics like Profs J.F. Ade-Ajayi, Niyi Osundare, Sam Aluko and others too many to mention.

Following a prolonged political crisis, President Olusegun Obasanjo imposed a military administrator (General Tunji Olurin) on Ekiti State in October 2006. On April 27, 2007 Olurin was replaced by Tope Ademiluyi. In the PDP primary of 2006, 1st place finisher, Yinka Akerele and 2nd place Prof.Adesegun Ojo were supposed to be in a run-off to determine who would be the nominee of the Nigerian ruling party when President Obasanjo summoned them to Abuja and imposed the candidate who came third – Engineer Segun Oni. He was later elected in the 2007 election as the governor of the state in an election marred by widespread irregularities and the AC candidate, Dr. Kayode Fayemi challenged his election and forced a rerun in May 2009.

The May 2009 rerun was characterized by even worse rigging and the election was disputed again. Eventually, after three years, the election of Oni was thrown out and Dr. Kayode Fayemi was declared the duly elected governor of Ekiti State.

Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi inaugurated the phase one of the multi billion naira Ikogosi Warm Spring project with a promise of continuous development of tourism potentials in the state, “to make the state a hub of tourism in the Southwest and for economic benefits of Ekiti people.”

The event drew eminent personalities from all walks of life. Fayemi said his administration considered tourism development and environmental sustainability as one of the key agenda through which he intend to make Ekiti a most attractive destination for relaxation and holiday by building a heliport, world class hotel and accommodation facilities and by developing Efon, Okemesi, Ikogosi , Ipole Iloro tourism corridor.

He added that the development of Ikogosi was beyond the reconstruction of the sites and well-furnished 100-room accommodation with modern facilities for conference, seminars and others but will also include game village, cable car that will carry people from Arinta water fall (Ipole Iloro) to Ikogosi and others.

Deji Falae’s Exit…
The tourism industry was dealt a fatal blow in October when it lost one of its stakeholders in the ill-fated Associated Airline crash. Deji Falae, the late Commissioner for Tourism and Orientation, Ondo State was part of the state delegation to the burial of the late governor of the state, Segun Agagu.

Falae’s tenure saw Ondo witness a momental boost in its tourism drive from the revival and successful implementation of Mare Mountain Climbing and Racing Festival, an event that showcases the rich cultural display and rejuvenation of traditional entertainment in the state (also in its fourth year) to setting up infrastructure that facilitate tourism and facilitating a convenient environment for the hospitality industry to thrive.

His tenure also witnessed one of the most iconic PR event for any state or country (as it puts the state on the map) when Idanre Hills and part of Akure town was featured in the film – Dr Bello – a Tony Abulu film about the potency of African herbs in fighting cancer featuring a stellar cast such as Vivica Fox, Isaiah Washington, Genevieve Nnaji, Onyeka Onwenu. A Nollywood movie, it made history as the first Nigerian movie to debut in the U.S. theatres in February.

The movie, said to be worth N150 million, explored the foreign exchange potentials that abound in the U.S. film industry and also creates a platform for other Nigerian movies to sell in the U.S. market.
£3,000 Fee to Visit UK…

The British government in June announced that high-risk visitors from Nigeria and other “high risk” countries in Asia and Africa would start paying a £3,000 cash bond before they could enter United Kingdom which was later reversed.

A pilot scheme that will target visitors from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nigeria and Ghana who will have to pay the UK government a form of cash guarantee or deposit to deter immigration abuse was supposed to start in November 2013. They will forfeit the £3,000 if they overstay in Britain and fail to return to their home countries by the time their visa has expired.

The controversial move by the UK home secretary, Theresa May, to introduce the Australian-style system reflects her determination to show that the Conservatives are serious about cutting immigration in the UK.

Ms May said: “This is the next step in making sure our immigration system is more selective, bringing down net migration from the hundreds of thousands to the tens of thousands, while still welcoming the brightest and the best to Britain.”
The Home Office is targeting countries which have high volumes of visitor visa applications and what it deems to be relatively high levels of fraud and abuse.
However, due to pressure from government and citizens from affected countries this decision was put on hold.

Emirates Holiday Berths…
Emirates Holidays in concert with Tour Brokers International opened officially last December and a classy affair it was.
Emirates Holidays, the outbound leisure division of Emirates Airline is promoting packages that offer exceptionally good value for money in all destinations flown to. From business to leisure, Emirates Holidays has personally recommended highlights for each destination to help guide the traveler.

InterContinental Hotel in Lagos…
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG)) opened InterContinental Lagos, its first hotel in Nigeria and the company’s first InterContinental hotel in West Africa in July.
The 352-room InterContinental Lagos is located on Victoria Island, Nigeria’s business city and diplomatic hub, and home to many multinational companies. Siting magnificently close to Lagos Creek, the 23-story hotel offers guests stunning panoramic views of the Gulf of Guinea. Lagos is the country’s business hub, as well as one of the biggest and fastest-growing cities in Africa. At 100 metres high, the 21 storey building stands as West Africa’s tallest hotel.

Arik Airline and the stowaway boy
The stowaway saga began on August 24 when the pilot of Arik plane, about to take from Benin-City enroute Lagos, claimed to have seen Daniel Ohikhena and informed the control tower which promised that security agents will apprehend the boy.

The stowaway teenager, however, successfully entered the nose wheel of the aircraft. He was found when the plane arrived Lagos by officials of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN). His survival in the aircraft wheel well was surprising too because most stowaways face numerous health risks. He has however been rehabilitated by his state governor, Adams Os