The Oyo State Government has partnered with the Oyo State chapter of Women In Hospitality Nigeria (WIHN) to celebrate the 2025 World Tourism Day and promote and revive the cultural heritage across the state.
While speaking at the 2025 World Tourism Day, held at the National Museum of Unity Aleshinloye, Ibadan, Commissioner for Culture and Tourism Dr Wasiu Olatunbosun explained that tourism has become a central pillar of Oyo State’s cultural revival and sustainability drive.
He highlighted the government’s achievements in line with Governor Seyi Makinde’s Omituntun 2.0 Roadmap for Sustainable Development.
“Oyo State today is the most active in cultural promotion in the entire Southwest. We have revived festivals once at the brink of extinction, and people are now proud to identify with our heritage,” Dr Olatunbosun said.
The commissioner noted that in December 2023, UNESCO officially recognised and listed the Sango Festival of Oyo as a world intangible cultural festival.
He also revealed plans for the 2026 Egungun Festival, slated for May 2, which will include a symposium that will be done with the Institute of African Studies, University of Ibadan, aimed at documenting and preserving cultural history.
He called on individuals, associations, and corporate organisations to partner with the state in sustaining cultural initiatives, stressing that “the government cannot do it alone.”
In her remarks, the Regional Director of WIHN (Oyo State Chapter), Mrs Oluwakemi Olusola, expressed gratitude to the state government for its support, noting that the Oyo chapter of WIHN was launched less than two months ago.
She added that the collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism has already strengthened the association’s visibility and credibility.
“This year’s World Tourism Day theme is Tourism and Sustainable Transformation. This partnership means a lot to us as women making an impact in the hospitality and tourism industry. Together, we are building not just an association but a community of strong women who have a voice in shaping the future of tourism,” Mrs Olusola said.
Also speaking at the event, the Curator of the National Museum of Unity, Mrs Pamela Oriyomi Otuka, described the celebration as “historic,” stressing that women, culture, and hospitality are critical to Nigeria’s sustainable tourism future.
“Hospitality is about welcome and human connection, and women are at the heart of it. As we celebrate World Tourism Day 2025, let us commit to championing women as leaders in tourism, embedding sustainability in every festival, and preserving our cultural heritage for generations to come,” he said.
The key panellists, which consist of Dr Wasiu Olatunbosun, Mrs Pamela Oriyomi Otuka; Mrs Olanike Mustapha(CEO Pams Travels); and Mrs Jumoke Olowo waste and Mrs Jumoke took part in the discussion and concluded with renewed commitments to deepen collaborations between the Government, cultural institutions, and private stakeholders, ensuring that Oyo State remains at the forefront of cultural preservation and sustainable tourism in Nigeria.
The teams paid cultural and educational visits to notable heritage and tourism sites across Ibadan, such as the University of Ibadan Zoological Garden, Irefin Palace, Captain Bower’s Tower at Oke-Are and the National Museum of Unity at Aleshinloye and a host of others.
