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Ghana’s former Minister of Tourism, Culture, and Creative Arts, Hon. Catherine Abelema Afeku, has urged African nations to reimagine heritage as a powerful tool for sustainable development, sharing Ghana’s globally acclaimed tourism blueprint with an audience of continental leaders and stakeholders at the International Tourism Summit Oyo State 2025 (ITSOyoState2025).
Speaking as the Special Guest Speaker and panelist during the high-profile event held on Thursday, July 24, at the International Conference Centre of the University of Ibadan, Hon. Afeku delivered a keynote address on the theme “Heritage as Capital: Reimagining Africa’s Cultural Assets for Sustainable Growth.”
The three-day summit, themed “Sanctuary of Yoruba Heritage: A Celebration of Roots and Legacy,” brought together senior policymakers, investors, development partners, and heritage advocates from across Africa and the diaspora to explore tourism as a catalyst for economic and cultural renewal.
In an exclusive interview, the former Member of Parliament for Evalue-Ajomoro Gwira explained that, as the Special Guest Speaker, she spoke about best practices in tourism, arts, and culture. She elaborated on the strategies she employed as Minister of Tourism under the NPP government to attract Ghanaians in the diaspora during Ghana’s Year of Return campaign, which promoted the country as both a tourist destination and an investment opportunity.
“The Governor and administration of Oyo State extended a special invitation to me to deliver an exposé on best practices in tourism, arts, and culture and how Ghana, during my tenure, was able to use these sectors to catapult the country into the limelight. As you know, Ghana is now the ninth most visited country on the continent. As stated in the invitation, I was a guest speaker and panelist. I simply shared my journey from the time I was given the opportunity to serve by President Akufo-Addo during his first term.”
“It coincided with the beginning of the Year of Return, and some of the key milestones began in 2018, particularly how we invited Hollywood stars to Ghana. This initiative was designed to bring people from America in December 2018, as a buildup to the 2019 commemoration of 400 years of Black enslavement.” She stated.
She emphasized that deliberate government support and visionary leadership were central to Ghana’s achievements. She therefore urged the Governor and Administration of Oyo State to make a conscious effort to promote heritage sites in the state in order to attract investors and increase tourist traffic.
“The strategies we used included supporting the travel of these guests and for such efforts, government backing is crucial. In this case, the Governor of Oyo State personally championed the initiative, giving it strong political support. My role was to demonstrate how it could be done.”
Her presentation received resounding applause from fellow panelists, policymakers, and culture advocates, highlighting the importance of inter-African collaboration and the need to elevate African heritage beyond nostalgia to economic opportunity.
The summit was organized under the leadership of the Governor of OYO state Ing. Seyi Makinde and his entire administration with technical support from the Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Oluwaseyi Abiodun Makinde.
The Governor pledged to champion the tourism drive in Oyo state personally, thereby giving it a strong political support.
Hon. Catherine Abelema Afeku played a crucial role in the overall success of the summit, demonstrating how Ghana’s achievements in tourism under the NPP government could serve as a model for replication in Oyo State.
Source: Ghanaweb.mobi
