Members of diplomatic communities in Nigeria on Thursday 18th February 2016 trouped to the Embassy of Republic of Cuba in Abuja to identify with , Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi ( Ojaja II) at a dinner organised in his honour by the Cuba community in Nigeria.
The Chief host and the Cuban Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Carlos Trejo Sosa, ‘Omowale’, described the honour done onto Ooni Ogunwusi as timely and well deserved, saying Ooni Ogunwusi remains sacredly important to Cubans globally as 90 percent of the Cubans originated from this part of Africa with Ile-Ife as their ancestral home.
“Ooni is the Spiritual father of most of we Cubans all over the world because 90% of Cubans are black Africans and a very large portion of us originated from Yorubaland which is spiritually headed by the Ooni of Ife. “ stated Ambassador Sosa.
The High Commissioner seized the occasion to identify with the tourism potentials in Nigeria, particularly in Ile Ife. He described Ile Ife as home to numerous tourist attractions which he said if developed to the international standard signals a greater economic advantage to Nigeria and Africa.
However, the coordinator of the event and Founder/CEO of La Campagne Tropicana Beach Resort in Lagos, Wanle Akinboboye expatiated the significance of the event as a bridge building among the Yoruba descents.
“When you establish a tourism zone, everybody will like to come, so we are inviting everyone to Ile-Ife on 26th and 27th of February 2016, as our new Kabiyesi is set to declare Ife a tourism zone. We invite private sector to move into Ife and exploit opportunities of doing business in Ile Ife. This will enhance economic vibrancy of the city and the beauty of what we intend doing is to drive the economy via tourism as done elsewhere in other parts of Africa.”
Corroborating Dr. Wanle’s observations was Mama of Tourism herself, the Director General, Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation, Mrs. Sally Mbanefo, she posited that the government of Nigeria will give credence to tourism business in the country, saying Tourism is Nigeria untapped goldmine. While she assured that President Buhari government is ready urgently ensure Tourism is included in the exclusive list of government plans, particularly in his quest for economic diversification, Mbanefo called on private entities to emulate the new Ooni of Ife as he set to declare Ile-Ife as tourism zone in the world, adding that tourism is a private sector driven.
