- PPP: Ogun Hands Over Olumo Rock Management to Private Investor
- The handover was conducted by the Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Hon. Sesan Fagbayi
- He said the company’s vision is to make Olumo Rock one of the top attractions every visitor to Nigeria must experience
In a move to unlock the tourism potential of Ogun State and drive economic growth, the state government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a private firm, Whatadeal, for the management and development of Olumo Rock.
Eko Hot Blog reports that the agreement officially transfers the management and operational activities of the Olumo Rock tourist attraction to Whatadeal, a privately owned tourism, lifestyle and technology company.
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The handover was conducted by the Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Hon. Sesan Fagbayi, at the Olumo Rock tourism complex in the Ikija area of Abeokuta, following a consensus reached by both parties.
Speaking after the signing of the MoU, Fagbayi said Public Private Partnerships (PPP) have become essential for sustainable development and improved Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) for the state.
Quoting the popular saying that “government has no business in business,” the commissioner noted that engaging the private sector would help unlock the full potential of the tourist attraction and drive value beyond expectations.
According to him, the partnership is expected to introduce new attractions and reposition Olumo Rock as a world class tourism destination.
Also speaking, the Director General, Ogun State Public Private Partnerships, Barrister Dapo Oduwole, described the agreement as a strategic decision aimed at attracting the best investors into the state’s tourism sector.
Oduwole said the investor has a strong track record in tourism development and would bring global best practices to improve the standard of Olumo Rock while increasing revenue inflow to the state.
“Ogun State deserves the best. Public Private Partnerships will continue to create an enabling environment for investors from all over the world to invest in our assets and public enterprises,” he said.
He added that the state government, under Governor Dapo Abiodun, remains committed to leveraging PPP initiatives to reposition key sectors, citing ongoing projects such as the hospital at Oke Mosan as evidence of the administration’s development agenda.
In his acceptance speech, the Managing Director of Whatadeal, Mr. Obafela Bank Olemoh, expressed readiness to elevate Olumo Rock beyond local patronage and transform it into a top international tourism destination.
He said the company’s vision is to make Olumo Rock one of the top attractions every visitor to Nigeria must experience, adding that the site would be upgraded with reality centres, game arcades, fun fairs and other modern attractions.
“From today, standards will change. Our objective is clear. When people talk about tourism in Nigeria, Olumo Rock must be the first place that comes to mind,” Bank Olemoh said.
He assured that Whatadeal would work closely with the Ogun State Government to maintain and improve existing standards, while deploying technology to track visitor data and improve service delivery.
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