Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State says his administration is targeting tourism as a major plank of its economic expansion agenda.

Mr Makinde made this known on Saturday at Igbo-Ora, during the annual World Twins Festival, organised by the Igbo-Ora Community, in collaboration with the Twins World Creations and the state government.

Mr Makinde said the Twins Festival in Igbo-Ora, renowned as the world’s capital of twins and multiple births, has a great tourism potential for Ibarapaland and the state.

“This administration will do everything possible to make Ibarapa zone a tourists’ destination.

“Today, we have come to celebrate with the twins and I am very happy to be here.

“But, I must say that today’s festival is beyond celebrating the twins. We are talking about the potential for tourism from this event.

“We have succeeded in rejuvenating the state’s economy through agribusiness, but we will now focus on tourism as another major contributor to the state’s economy,” he said.

Mr Makinde said his administration had been able to turn around the security situation in Ibarapaland, adding that it would further put in place adequate infrastructure, which would help tourism to gain a foothold.

He said that within the next few weeks, construction works would begin on the Ibadan-Eruwa Road and the Igbo-Ora-Iganna Road, with a view to fully integrating the zone into the economic development agenda of his administration.

The governor also used the opportunity of the event to announce that he would start his campaign for the 2023 governorship election in Igbo-Ora.

Earlier, the traditional ruler of Igbo-Ora, Oba Jimoh Titiloye, thanked the governor for identifying with the land of twins and multiple births.

Oba Titiloye, however, declared the support of his people for the governor’s reelection bid.

(NAN)