As part of his administration’s efforts to develop the State’s tourism sector, Governor of Osun, Adegboyega Oyetola, on Thursday, inaugurated Cultural and Tourism Clubs in secondary schools across the State.
Oyetola noted that the initiative was a strategic effort to make students embrace development in the tourism sector and make it vibrant and sustainable.
He said the initiative was also designed to tap the rich natural endowments the State is blessed with, for its socioeconomic advancement. According to him, the initiative will help to revolutionalise and reinvigorate revenue generation and development parameters to reposition the economy of the state.
Recall that the administration had stated in clear terms its commitment to fast-track development with all available resources to meet the increasing needs of the people of the State through agriculture, mining, tourism and culture.
Speaking during the inauguration ceremony, held at Technical College, Osogbo, Governor Oyetola who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prince Wole Oyebamiji, said his administration had identified culture and tourism as a potential strength to enhance the State’s economic prosperity.
Oyetola who described culture and tourism as key areas that worth students’ devotion said its institutionalization across the nooks and crannies of the State would go a long way to achieve a vast cultural tourism potential which the youth can make use of for sustainability endeavours.
He disclosed that his government had packaged the cultural tourism club in such a way to expose students in public and private secondary schools to potential in Culture and Tourism, and to also identify talents in arts among the students. This, he noted, will encourage promotion of culture and innovations capable of making the students self sustaining and culturally inclined.
The Governor directed all schools to key in and establish clubs immediately and devote every Thursday as Cultural Day in the last two periods of their timetable.
According to him, each private and public school in the state should henceforth mandate excursion to the State Tourist Sites at least once in a session in a school calendar year.
He said for the communities to have a sense of belonging and to properly integrate cultural tourism into their daily lives, each school should identify and name a theatre Arts or Tourism icon (living or dead) after each Club in each locality.
“When all the schools establish tourism clubs, it will induce interest of the students, create jobs, reduce unemployment and make them compete in our State and a world full of opportunities and possibilities.
“Apart from this, it will promote domestic tourism through which wealth will be created through excursions with multiplier effects on entrepreneurship development.
“One thing is clear, if the schools implement the cultural tourism clubs, the increasing cases of social vices will be checked as the students will be engaged in productive activities.
“Our administration has continued to give priority to the development of the youths as the future leaders and has evolved more measures to mould, train and prepare them effectively for leadership hence the formulation of Youth Policy – Youth Engagement, Youth Education, Youth Entrepreneurship and Youth Empowerment – to integrate our youths into our sustainable development plan”, he added.
Governor Oyetola charged the Ministries of Culture and Education to collaborate so as to formally put the clubs in proper shape in all schools just as he called on all teachers to ensure the success of the strategy of making the dream to leave a legacy of sustainable development across sectors.
Those in attendance at the inauguration include; immediate past Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Dr. Adebisi Obawale; Head of Service, Dr. Festus Olowogboyega Oyebade; National Museum delegation; leadership of the Traditional Religion Worshippers Association among others.