•Minister, hikers storm state for hiking
•Fubara promises to make Rivers hub for medical tourism in Africa
Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt and Gbenga Sodeinde in Ado Ekiti
Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Biodun Oyebanji, has expressed the readiness of his government to collaborate with the Federal Ministry of Tourism to harness and develop untapped tourism potential of the state and make Ekiti a leading tourism destination in the country.
Governor Oyebanji revealed this on Monday during the 6th edition of Hike Ekiti Mountain safari, which took place at Abanijorin Mountain and cave, in Iyin- Ekiti.
In attendance at the event were the Minister of Tourism, Mrs. Lola Ade-John; Ekiti State Deputy Governor, Chief (Mrs) Monisade Afuye; Speaker Ekiti State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Adeoye Aribasoye; and Director General of NIHOTOUR, Alhaji Nura Kangiwa, among other hikers, who recently stormed the state for mountain hiking.
In a related development, the Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has said his administration would make the state the hub for medical tourism destination in Nigeria, and Africa at large.
However, Oyebanji, while speaking said a properly harnessed tourism industry has the capacity to reshape the economy and improve the revenue base of the state.
He stressed that the state would leverage tourism to attract investment, create jobs, boost the local economy and drive the shared prosperity agenda of his administration.
While expressing his gratitude to the minister for the visit and her commitment to tourism development in the country, the governor said the minister’s commitment speaks to the quality of people working with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to actualise the renewed hope agenda of the President.
Oyebanji revealed that he has charged the state Bureau of Tourism Development to come up with the state’s tourism development master-plan in alignment with the Federal Ministry of Tourism vision to create an enabling environment for the people to prosper.
“I’m so excited that finally, we are giving life to this programme. It started six years ago and I know and am convinced that if we are going to drive our shared prosperity agenda in Ekiti state, tourism is a critical factor in ensuring that we provide job, create wealth and also emplaced a healthy and productive society.
“As a government, we have charged the bureau of tourism development to create a desirable tourism masterplan for the state, because that is what is going to drive our intervention in the tourism sector and we will further collaborate with the Federal Ministry of Tourism by ensuring that we align our own plan with their own so that together we can create an enabling environment for our people to prosper.”
Earlier, the minister, Ade-John, who said the purpose of her visit was to encourage and promote the eco-tourism sector of the state, lauded Governor Oyebanji’s commitment to tourism development, especially the creation of a Bureau of tourism.
She maintained that Oyebanji’s determination to prioritise tourism aligns with Tinubu’s led federal government’s resolve to boost the nation’s economy through tourism development.
Meanwhile, the Oyebanji in company with the minister and her team had earlier visited the palace of the Oluyin of Iyin Ekiti, Oba Adeniyi Ajakaye, where they were informed about the various natural endowments in the community as well as the history behind the mountain “Okuta Aba ni Jorin” and solicited government’s support in preserving the cultural heritage.
Fubara: We’ll Make Rivers Hub for Medical Tourism in Africa
Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has said his administration would make the state hub for medical tourism destination in Nigeria, and Africa at large.
Fubara, who mentioned this while speaking with journalists at the Government House, Port Harcourt, on the achievements of his administration in the health sector, explained that to achieve this, his government was seriously paying greater attention to improving healthcare infrastructure and services available to the people.
He said his administration has been able to bridge the gaps between the primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare services in the state.
Fubara maintained that his administration intended to deliver immediate and quality healthcare services to majority of the people, hence, the ongoing reconstruction, rehabilitation and upgrade of all primary healthcare facilities across the state, with a view to integrating them with existing secondary and tertiary institutions.
Beside the construction, renovation and upgrade of primary healthcare centres across the state, he said the capacity of the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital (RSUTH) has been recently improved with the training of personnel, and establishment of critical units, equipped with modern equipment to deliver sterling expertise services to patients.
“We are proud of our modest achievements in the health sector, particularly in the construction of primary healthcare centres.
“We are also supporting the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital to perform optimally. Do not also forget the contributory healthcare insurance law that we have started implementing.
“I assure you that we will complete all the ongoing healthcare infrastructure projects that we have around the state.
“With all these on ground, it is evident that the primary challenges in our healthcare system are more with inadequate manpower, corruption, indiscipline and ineffective management.
“We will deal with all identified challenges and ensure that the healthcare system functions optimally to deliver affordable and efficient services to all citizens of the State,” he said.
