Ooni commissions multi-billion naira Ife grand resort, unveils 3,000 seater auditorium, Industrial Park

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye  Ogunwusi, would on Friday  lead top dignitaries including the Osun State Governor, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola, to officially launch Ife Grand Resort and  Industrial Park in Ile-Ife.

Penpushing reports that, the monarch in a statement by his Director of Media and Public Affairs, Comrade Moses Olafare, said the resort which is the initiative of Arole Odua is, located beside the tollgate on the Ife-Ibadan expressway.

The statement added that it  is a brand new city of hubs driven by urban renewal initiatives to serve as the hub for sustainable development,  fountain of employment generation, radar of  empowerment and satellite for branding and showcasing the cultural heritage and value of Ile-Ife the source and natural headquarters of  the Ile Oduduwa race globally.

Penpushing further reports that, the statement said   the huge investment is a legacy project embarked upon by Ooni for urban renewal and redevelopment into the current smart city global requirements in the selfless spirit of ‘Charity Begins At Home’

The statement explained that  the  Grand Resort and Leisure which is planted on over 1000 acres of land will aside from offering facilities for exquisite lodging/accommodation, harbour multiple industrial parks with pockets of industries currently producing many  industrial and agricultural products as well as rendering essential  services to the resort, the  Ife community and Nigeria.

‘Sitting comfortably within the Ife Grand Resort which is a focal attraction on Friday is the 3000 seating capacity Meeting Incentives Conference and Event (MICE) Centre branded ‘Ojaja Arena’, a complex of architectural wonder planted by Ooni  Ogunwusi to add value of relevance to urban renewal in Ile – Ife’.

Penpushing also reports that, Ooni disclosed that he deliberately brought the 3000 seating capacity event centre to make Ile-Ife the epicentre of MICE in Africa, saying that the ‘Ojaja Arena’ has been configured and positioned with all facilities to satisfy demands of Meetings , Incentives, Conference and Event adding that it would also shore up intellectual and congregational activities in Ile Ife, the ancient source of mankind.

“We are building a brand new city driven by urban renewal initiative. The Ojaja Arena is basically not built for social activities but a centre for training and manpower development for youths in this country, considering Ile-Ife to have over 500,000 students of  about 20 tertiary institutions; Universities, Polytechnics, Colleges of Education and Schools of Nursing within 100km radius surrounding Obafemi Awolowo University built at the nucleus Centre in Ife over 60 years ago’, the statement said.

‘The question in my lips has been, what will these young vibrant youths will be doing after tertiary institutions, the best bet is to set up a hub that is technology friendly to boost and drive small and medium scale industries within our country Nigeria by creating a smart city for them to display whatever they can do to become employers of labour after graduation. It is a sad truth that no industries to employ them all. We can only encourage them to create industries for and by themselves because that is the reality on ground”. Ooni said.

Penpushing reports that, the natural traditional head of the House Oduduwa worldwide also revealed that one of the industrial parks within the Ife Grand Resort Colony, the  Adire hub has engaged 50 people, empowered over 150 others and  started producing Adire in bales  which are being exported  to foreign countries

The monarch disclosed that one of the agricultural parks  which specializes in rearing of Ostriches  has also employed another set of 40 staff who have started rearing Ostriches in an unprecedented manner with the vision to produce ostrich hides and skin in high commercial quantity for export purposes .

The Co-chairman, National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria(NCTRN) revealed that the various industrial parks have started receiving collaboration and acknowledgement from Africans in Diaspora who are willing and ready to train and empower interested individuals in various segments of the park.

“We have received pledges for training and exchange programs between the Brazilian, Cuban and other governments in the Caribbean towards the empowerment of Nigerian youths both the male and female folks for post- COVID -19 empowerment action plan”

“We are occupying over 1,000 acres, we are building a brand new city that urban renewal and it is going to be a Itech environment, it is a smart city that will have a hub, industrial hub, ostrich farming hub, Adire Hub, Green farming, Sport Academy, film and entertainment village. The resort is a culture and tourism destination that is close to nature. You don’t even have to move around the country”, he stated

“What we’re doing is to replicate this, we have already commenced in Ondo, Oyo and Lagos states and we shall be launching these projects concurrently. It is a means of creating an avenue for our young minds to see Nigeria from a positive perspective, so we’re creating a country from a country.

“A country in the sense that is a localized environment, for them to be there and be successful and reach out to the world like the typical Adire hub that we have done we are exporting to 25 countries now. We are shipping to everywhere in the world and we have agents all over’.

“We started that one just three months ago and it is fast gaining global recognition, the same we are going to start organic remedies (Our herbal medicinal products recently launched strategically with YEMKEM). We’ll soon have a factory here from where we’ll send it to the world’.

“So it is an industrial park that is fintech driven and it is through fintech that we’re even selling what we are selling at the hub. They place orders from anywhere globally and we ship to them, life is easy for everybody.

“There is equally the African village that  reminds us of our ancient ways of living and yet bring it to the modern world, everything that has to do with Pan African is there. Then the sporting arena is another industry that is huge, we would have a mini camp for training and development in the sporting world. We are going to have an 18 hole  Golf Course.” Ooni said.

Meanwhile, the resort is scheduled to  host the Grand reception aspect of the installation activities for the Iyalaje of Oduduwa race worldwide to be conferred on the Lagos business magnate cum philanthropist  Princess(Dr.)Toyin Kolade by the Arole Oduduwa on Saturday.

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