Learn Local Trades Now To Survive, Ajimobi Tells Nigerian Youths
Oyo State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi has charged Nigerian youths to start learning local trade such as the indigenous textile making to earn a living and survive rather than waiting for white collar jobs that are not forthcoming.
Ajimobi, who said this while laying the foundation of the 13.5 hectares Aso Ofi International Tourism Market at Iseyin, said that the state was ready to partner genuine investors to preserve its historical sites, artifacts and monuments.
The governor, who performed the foundation laying ceremony during the second edition of Aso Ofi festival in Iseyin area of the state, added that the partnering investors would also help to manage and develop new tourist sites.
Senator Ajimobi, represented by his deputy, Chief Moses Adeyemo, noted that Oyo State is endowed with rich, diverse cultures and a wide variety of indigenous festivals such as Sango and Oranyan in Oyo town, Oke-Badan in Ibadan, Beere in Saki, Olele in Ogbomoso, among others as well as beautiful landscape which include Ado-Awaye Suspended Lake, Oke-Badan Hill in Ibadan, Igbo-Oba Royal Forest in Igboho, Iya Mapo Hill in Igbeti and other numerous species of flora and fauna with their scenic values.
He observed that most of the tourist sites are yet to be fully maximized to generate revenue, saying “It is therefore our duty to identify, plan, package and market them for the overall development of the state.”
According to him, the concept of the Aso-Ofi festival is to celebrate Aso-Ofi, one of the state’s tourism products, towards propagating the unique indigenous textile material globally and promoting the youth empowerment agenda of this administration as one of the solutions to the present economic challenges facing the country.
“To this end, youths should be encouraged to learn this trade without waiting for white collar jobs that are not always there; farmers should be encouraged to grow the cotton trees as part of agricultural agenda in the state to boost our indigenous textile industry.”
“We are here today to fulfill the promise made by my administration during last year’s Aso-Ofi celebration to the good people of Iseyin that an International Tourism Market will be established in this town known universally as the cradle of Aso-Ofi.
“We are lending credence to our pace setting status by laying the foundation of the first ever market to combine a museum with other tourism features here in Iseyin. We appreciate the support of the good people of Iseyin in particular, and Oyo State in general, for your continuous support for this administration since its inception over six years ago as well as your collaborative efforts in the transformation agenda of our government,” the governor added.
