The Engineer Seyi Makinde-led government says it has entered into an agreement with private partners to promote notable tourist sites in Oyo state.
Wasiu Olatubosun, the Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism in the state, who made this known while hosting members of the Irefin Royal Family at his office also revealed the plan to position the historical Irefin Palace in Ibadan.
The Commissioner noted that the plan is to position Irefin Palace in such a way that it can rival the Buckingham Palace in the United Kingdom by working with the Irefin Royal Family to bring more attention to the tourism potential of the palace and its significance to humanity.
He further stated that the Irefin palace is not just a structure but a symbol of love and philanthropy adding that the late Oba Onirefin was a giver and lover of educational development.
The commissioner noted that repositioning the palace will generate goodwill for the government and promote the tourism industry in the state given the number of people that trooped to the UK to see the Buckingham palace among other sites.
Reacting, the Coordinator of the Irefin Historical Palace Foundation, Prince Omokayode Ayinla Irefin, said the family was happy with the stride of the Oyo State Government towards promoting the tourism sector.
It was gathered that the Oba Onirefin, who built the biggest palace with 125 rooms in the history of Yorubaland, during his reign, between 1912 to 1914 was regarded as the highest donor to the establishment of the popular Ibadan Grammar School.