Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has declared that his administration’s investment in tourism is yielding tangible results, citing the newly unveiled Kunle Afolayan Productions (KAP) Film Village and Resort as a milestone achievement.
Speaking during the inauguration ceremony held on Saturday in Igbojaye, Itesiwaju Local Government Area, Makinde described the facility as a testament to his administration’s vision of expanding the state’s economy through tourism and infrastructure.
“This KAP Film Village is a testament that we are achieving the vision,” Makinde said. “It has put this location, Igbojaye, on the global map as far as tourism is concerned.”
The governor, in a statement released by his Special Adviser on Media, Sulaimon Olanrewaju, said tourism and solid minerals were added as key pillars in his second-term development roadmap for 2023–2027.
Makinde applauded filmmaker Kunle Afolayan for choosing Oyo as the location, despite not being an indigene of the state. “Afolayan is not from the state, but see what he has done. For us, anyone who can add value is welcome to invest,” he said.
To support the new facility, Makinde directed the Itesiwaju Local Government to begin immediate reconstruction of the Okaka-Igbojaye road. “I will approve the cost of building the road in earnest,” he assured.
He also promised electricity infrastructure, stating, “We will talk to the commissioner for energy to put a solar mini-grid here. Even if we have to take a direct electricity line from Okaka, 23 kilometres away, we will do it.”
Makinde revealed that the Samuel Ladoke Akintola Airport in Ibadan would soon handle wide-bodied aircraft, noting, “We will receive a wide-bodied aircraft in Ibadan Airport around October or November.”
He emphasized Oyo’s growing tourism potential, aided by its proximity to Lagos and improving infrastructure. “This project speaks directly to the heart of everything we are working towards in this state,” Makinde said.
Also present at the event were several state commissioners and key government officials, including the Director-General of Oyo State Investment Promotion Agency, Tilewa Folami.
Makinde concluded by calling on Nigerians and foreigners alike to invest in the state’s growing tourism economy: “We are open to any business that can add value to our state.”