The Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, has pledged to intensify efforts to attract investors to the state following the successful landing of the first wide-bodied aircraft at the newly upgraded Samuel Ladoke Akintola Airport, Alakia, Ibadan.
Naijaonpoint reports that Makinde gave the assurance while speaking at The Jagz Hospitality Conference, held to mark the first anniversary of the hotel in Ibadan.
The Governor described the airport’s expansion as historic, noting that it took 43 years since its commissioning for the facility to receive its first wide-bodied aircraft.
“It was a thing of joy when the first wide-bodied aircraft landed at Ibadan Airport last Friday,” he said.
“The airport, commissioned in 1982, had to wait 43 years for this. Within one year of getting approval, we extended the runway and made it possible. But we are not stopping there.
“Our goal is to make Ibadan Airport more welcoming than any other in Nigeria, a hub where people from across the world will want to come, feel welcome, and return.”
The governor stressed that his administration’s vision was to transform the airport into the most investor-friendly facility in the country, one that would boost tourism, trade, and foreign investment in Oyo State.
Makinde insisted that Oyo’s economic progress lay in openness rather than isolation.
He rejected the notion of import substitution as a pathway to sustainable growth, arguing that no country had achieved prosperity by looking inward alone.
“Oyo must open its doors to global investors,” he declared, adding that his government’s policies had already begun to attract businesses despite Nigeria’s economic challenges.
He commended the resilience of the private sector, citing The Jagz Hotel as an example of businesses surviving in difficult times, and assured the hospitality industry of the state government’s continued support.
Earlier at the event, the Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Wasiu Olatubosun, highlighted the administration’s progress in tourism and solid mineral development.
He urged stakeholders in the hospitality sector to partner with the government in sustaining growth and positioning Oyo State as an investment destination.
Makinde concluded by calling on investors at home and abroad to seize the opportunities the state is offering, stressing that Oyo was ready to compete on a global stage.
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