The Ogun State Government has partnered with Nike Art Gallery to establish a new exhibition space at the Olumo Rock Tourist Centre in Abeokuta, a move Governor Dapo Abiodun says is aimed at boosting annual tourist visits from 20,000 to over 100,000.
Abiodun disclosed the plan on Wednesday while receiving the founder of the Nike Art Gallery, Chief (Mrs) Nike Davies-Okundaye, at his office in Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.
“I went to Olumo Rock about a month ago and I decided that we needed to do something about restoring Olumo Rock to its old glory. From statistics, Olumo Rock hosts about 20,000 people a year in its current state, and I felt that we could increase that to at least ten times,” the governor said.
As part of the plan, an events hall within the tourist centre will be repurposed as a permanent gallery operated by Nike Art Gallery.
“I told them to shut it down. Practically, we want to bring it down and turn it into a gallery for you to use as an exhibition gallery,” he told Davies-Okundaye.
He added that the gallery will be ready before the National Sports Festival in May, when the State will host about 15,000 visitors.
“I want them to be able to see our tourist sites,” he said, listing attractions such as the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, the Ransome-Kuti family home, and the Adire market among key heritage spots to be showcased.
Highlighting Ogun’s improved infrastructure, the governor said, “Now that we’ve succeeded in having the intra and inter-state roads in place, you can come to Ogun State by rail; you can come by air. We’ve constructed one of the best airports in Nigeria, and very soon, you will be able to come by sea.”
Davies-Okundaye, in her remarks, praised the state’s efforts to promote tourism and pledged to use the new gallery to attract global attention.
“This gallery will bring many Heads of State. The one I opened in Abuja already has more than 10 Heads of State, including those from South Korea and the Czech Republic. The same will happen here,” she said.
She also applauded the Governor for his commitment to the Adire fabric industry.
“Adire is all over Nigeria, but Ogun has been promoting Adire for over 50 years. Today, the only cloth we can call our own is called Adire. This is what we can sell to the Europeans,” she said.
Abiodun reaffirmed his administration’s backing of the Adire industry, citing policies such as the Adire Ogun Digital Marketplace, compulsory wearing of Adire in the state, and provision of solar-powered production equipment to support artisans.
He also revealed plans to open a creative arts and entertainment village in partnership with Bolanle Austen-Peters, expected to be completed within two months.

Despite the alleged N1.2 trillion digital trading fraud that reportedly affected over 600,000 Nigerians, the embattled Crypto Bridge Exchange trading platform, accused of these acts, has resumed operations, announcing fresh withdrawal options in a move to restore investor confidence.
Two traders on the CBEX platform confirmed to The Tide’s source that the digital trading firm has quietly resumed operations, allowing new users to register, trade, and withdraw profits, despite ongoing investigations by regulatory agencies.
According to the sources, an insurance verification process and an external audit of the company’s financial records are currently underway to ascertain the actual amount lost in the scheme, which collapsed in April.
They added that existing investors, many of whom have been unable to access their funds for weeks, will be able to take out their funds starting from June 25, 2025, when the audit is expected to be concluded by an insurance firm based in the United Kingdom.
This development comes barely weeks after the Securities and Exchange Commission declared the platform illegal, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission confirmed an ongoing investigation into the firm’s operations.
CBEX, a digital investment platform, offered investors 100 per cent profit after 30 days of purported AI trading. The trading platform started operations in 2024 after receiving registration approval from the Corporate Affairs Commission on September 25, 2024, and the EFCC’s Special Control Unit Against Money Laundering on January 16, 2025.
No fewer than 600,000 Nigerians reportedly invested in the scheme and lost N1.2tn after it collapsed on April 14, 2025.
Miffed by the development, the EFCC declared eight persons wanted for promoting the programme. They include Johnson Oteno, Israel Mbaluka, Joseph Michiro, Serah Michiro, Adefowora Olanipekun, Adefowora Oluwanisola, Emmanuel Uko, and Seyi Oloyede.

Renowned aviator and former National President of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers, Isaac Balami, has vowed that the Isaac Balami University of Aeronautics and Management will transform Nigeria into an aircraft manufacturing hub.
The pioneering institution, which was licensed on Wednesday along with 10 others, was described by Balami as a critical step in reviving the nation’s once-thriving aviation legacy.
Balami, who spoke to newsmen yesterday in Abuja, expressed gratitude to President Bola Tinubu for approving the university’s licence.
“In the days of Nigerian Airways, we were the first African airline to land in America with crew. Today, that legacy is lost. This university is our way of restoring it,” Balami said.
He noted that more than just a degree-granting institution, the university is designed to produce world-class aeronautical professionals.
Balami revealed that students will graduate with dual certification, not just from the Nigerian Universities Commission, NUC, but also from global aircraft manufacturers such as Boeing, Airbus, Gulfstream, and Embraer.
“Our students won’t just learn theory—they’ll clock 7,000 to 10,000 hours on live aircraft in our Lagos-based hangar, and graduate with both European and Nigerian civil aviation licensces.
“By the grace of God, Nigeria will soon witness its first indigenously built aircraft, constructed by our youth,” he said
Balami noted that the institution which is backed by a team that includes a Cranfield-trained aerospace design Professor and a retired Air Vice Marshal as acting Vice Chancellor, the institution is built on proven expertise.
“We’ve already assembled aircraft, built drones, and conducted C-checks and D-checks. We’re not starting, we’re scaling,” Balami emphasised.
Responding to concerns about the proliferation of private universities, Balami dismissed the notion that Nigeria has too many.
“Six million Nigerians sit for WAEC and NECO yearly, but only about 400,000 gain university admission. We clearly need more institutions to meet demand,” he said citing India’s example of opening new universities weekly.
He added that the Isaac Balami University of Aeronautics and Management is not just an academic venture, it’s a national renaissance.