*reiterates commitment to cultural heritage, tourism as drivers of economic growth
By Adeyinka Adeniran
The Oyo state government has reaffirmed its commitment to leveraging culture, tourism, and the creative economy as drivers of economic growth, investment, and export development.
Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Dr. Wasiu Olatubosun, stated this during a press briefing held to announce the Oyo State Business Forum 2026, themed “Investment and Export Promotion of Arts and Crafts Business in Oyo State.”
The briefing was organized in collaboration with the Oyo State Investment and Public-Private Partnership Agency (OYSIPA) at the State Secretariat, Ibadan.
Olatubosun said the state is repositioning its cultural festivals from traditional celebrations into globally recognised tourism and entertainment products capable of attracting local and international investment.
According to him, the Governor Seyi Makinde administration has deliberately shifted from viewing culture as mere tradition to seeing it as a viable creative economy.
He cited the Sango Festival, recently inscribed by UNESCO on its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, as evidence of the state’s growing global cultural profile.
The recognition, he said, has transformed the annual festival in Oyo Town into an international attraction, drawing thousands of visitors and media attention from Africa, Europe, and the Americas.
He added that it joins the Osun-Osogbo Festival as one of only two festivals in South-West Nigeria with UNESCO recognition.
The commissioner also highlighted the rapid growth of the World Egungun Festival, which was repackaged as a tourism and entertainment product in 2024. He said the event has attracted increasing international visibility and diaspora interest, particularly from Brazil, Cuba, and Trinidad and Tobago.
He said, “When we started in 2024, we recorded between 6,000 and 7,000 attendees. In 2025, attendance grew to over 17,000, while this year we welcomed more than 19,000 visitors, with over 50 percent coming from outside Oyo State.”
Olatubosun noted that an initial group of 25 foreign visitors interested in traditional initiation rites is expected in the state later this year.
“They may not be paying for initiation, but they will spend their dollars here. Those resources will circulate within our economy. That is the economic value of culture,” he added.
He disclosed that the ministry is partnering with the Institute of African Studies, University of Ibadan, to document cultural assets and with the Office of the Special Adviser on AfCFTA to help local creatives access international markets.
Speaking at the event, OYSIPA Director-General, Mr. Tilewa Folami, represented by the Director of Public-Private Partnerships, Mr. Adebisi Ajayi, said the initiative is designed to showcase the investment potential of Oyo State’s arts and crafts sector.
“Our objective is to attract investors into the arts and crafts industry and promote business activities in the state. We want investors to leverage the opportunities provided through government support, partnerships, and a conducive business environment,” he said.
Consultant to the forum, Mr. Lawal Akolade, said the economic potential of the sector remains largely untapped owing to inadequate documentation and research.
“The market for arts and culture in Oyo State is virtually limitless. We cannot fully quantify its value until we properly explore and document the opportunities within the sector,” he said.
Akolade noted that thousands of artisans, including carvers, sculptors, and weavers, contribute to an industry whose products already enjoy international demand, with many traditional artefacts displayed in museums across Europe.
Also speaking, renowned visual artist and cultural ambassador, Chief Tunde Odunlade, described art and culture as Nigeria’s only true finished export.
“If they take our crude oil, they refine it abroad and sell it back to us at a higher price. But art leaves this country as a finished product,” he said.
Odunlade, who has practised in New York for more than 50 years, said Oyo remains the cradle of contemporary Nigerian art and urged greater investment in culture, tourism, and the creative economy.
The Oyo State Business Forum 2026 is expected to bring together investors, artists, craftsmen, exporters, policymakers, and development partners to explore opportunities within the state’s creative sector and position Oyo as a leading destination for cultural and tourism investment.
