Ogun State Government is determined to harness the inherent potentials of its aquatic endowment especially in the area of tourism so as to lay bare its available economic advantages to the people of the state.
The Commissioner for Culture and Tourism in the state, Dr. Oluwatoyin Taiwo who made this disclosure recently while receiving the executives of Ogun State chapter of the Association of Tourist Boats And Water Transporters of Nigeria (ATBOWATON) in his office at Oke Mosan, Abeokuta, said the opportunities available in this sector begging to be tapped are limitless.
Executives of ATBOWATON led by its National President, Chief Ganiu Balogun a.k.a Tarzan was in his office to thank him for heeding their call to partner with the state in the development of its waterways with a view to harness its inherent economic advantages and for agreeing to set up a committee of the ministry and the association for the purpose.
The commissionerwho noted that ATBOWATON has been useful to the state in the past and has proven its mettle in its area of specialities thanked the association for its resolve to work with the state government to develop its aquatic endowments.
Dr. Taiwo pointed out that government alone cannot solely develop the state but needed associations and men of goodwill to conjoin it in this onerous task adding that this was why the state government has been harping on public private partnerships (PPP) and has been encouraging investors to come forward to help it in its economic development agenda.
He said government is prepared not only to provide not only the needed enabling environment for industries to thrive but also to provide all additional impetus for respective investments.
Dr. Taiwo said the ultimate goal of Governor Dapo Abiodun is to develop the state and its people as this would lead to bigger prosperity for the state, noting that this is the logic behind the ISEYA mantra of the present government.
Speaking earlier, Chief Balogun lauded the state for its promptness in responding to the association's call for partnership saying that it shows government's readiness to accelerate the development of the state.
Chief Balogun noted that the goals of the state government as highlighted in its ISEYA mantra are in tandem with the ultimate aim of his association which is to ensure that aquatic tourism and water transportation thrive in Nigeria.
He pointed out that the opportunities inherent in water aquatic tourism is enormous and capable of catapulting the economic development of the state as it would create jobs and sources of wealth among other things.
Tarzan also told the commissioner that if the state government could focus its attention on developing its waterways, it would serve as a catalyst for the development of its transportation sector, insisting that water as a means of transportation has more advantages than land.
On the entourage of ATBOWATON are: Alhaji Muritala Elebu Olayiwola, the Chairman of ATBOWATON in Ogun State, Bakare Tanimola, the Vice Chairman, Arogundade Kazeem, the Secretary, Olayiwola Samuel, the Treasurer, Foluso Adelaja, the Assistant Public Relations Officer and Okin Ife, member.
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