By Tunde Adebayo
Tourism is one of the low hanging fruits that can be used to develop our economy, No doubt Oyo state is bless with humongous tourism potentials that if properly annexed can attract more visitors and boost revenue generations for the state.
The government determination to change the narratives is yielding results and some individuals are responding to the move and efforts if the commissioner for Culture and Tourism Dr Wasiu Olatubosun to transform the historical monuments and relics into a preferred destinations
One of the historical monument that is gaining attention now is the iconic Bower’s Tower, a 60-foot tower that was built in 1936 in honour of Captain Robert Lister Bower – the first british resident in Nigeria.
The tower gives a panoramic view of the four corners of Ibadan. One can view, from Oke Are hill – where the tower stands upon, the surrounding landmarks, including the popular Cocoa House, Mokola Hill, Adamasingba stadium, the Polytechnic, Ibadan, the University College Hospital and the rusty brown roofs around the town.
The beautiful tourism centre in Ibadan was developned into a park which attracted visitors from different part of the world but was later abandoned and left desolate finding reveals that the last renovation of Bower Lister’s tower was done by Major General Patrick N. Aziza in 1999. Other three Honorable ministers of the Ministry of Commerce and Tourism that did renovation were Rear – Admiral Isaac Sunday Areola in 1996, Rear – Admiral Jubril Kayode Ayinla in 1997 and Doctor Emmanuel O. Odogu in 1998.
But just last year, after a call by commisisoner for Tourism for stakeholders support , the
Jagun Olubadan of Ibadanland, Engineer Chief Dotun Sanusi championed the course by renovation the spiral staircase which was already damaged and fix a block toilet for tourists and it was comissioned in December 2023..
Dr Wasiu Olatubosun while speaking on the import of Engineer Dotun Sanusi’s intervention on Bower’s Tower recently said ” Before Chief Sanusi offered to facelift the Tower and build the toilet for the site, the situation was bad, people are afraid of climbing the Tower becuse of the crack spiral staircase which was dangerous, infact some little children cannot clim withoht having wounds but he has fixed it and that is the major thing that was needed to be fixed, He also renovated a toilet for convenience of visitors, his intervention has boosted activities at the site and we are hoping for more .
Engineer Dotun Sanusi, s vested interest in sport, hospitality and Tourism are obviously increasing local and foreign traffic to the state especially Ibadan.
