In furtherance of the vision of Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji of Ekiti State that government agencies must work together and not operate in silos, the Ekiti State Bureau of Tourism Development and Ekiti State Forest Commission have commenced a collaborative engagement aimed at strengthening the conservation, interpretation, and sustainable tourism positioning of Ugele Rock Shelter Settlement, Ikere-Ekiti.
This is designed to ensure that Ugele, one of Ekiti State’s emerging heritage-tourism assets, is promoted as a tourism destination.
It is also to ensure that it is preserved as an ecological, cultural, historical, and archaeological treasure for present and future generations.
It will be recalled that Oyebanji had through the Deputy Governor, Chief Monisade Christiana Afuye, formally unveiled Ugele Rock Shelter Settlement, Ikere-Ekiti as a budding tourism site on Easter Monday, April 6, 2026.
The unveiling marked a major step in the administration’s deliberate effort to identify, document, preserve, and promote the hidden treasures of Ekiti communities as instruments of cultural pride, education, recreation, job creation, and local economic development.
As part of the follow-up actions after the unveiling, the Director-General of the Ekiti State Bureau of Tourism Development, Wale Ojo-Lanre, led Dr. Owen Olly, Technical Adviser on Forest Management and Climate Change to the Governor of Ekiti State, on an assessment visit to Ugele Rock Shelter Settlement.
Dr. Olly, who works closely with the Ekiti State Forest Commission, said he had been impressed by what he read about Ugele Rock Shelter Settlement and decided to visit the site personally in order to properly appreciate its ecological, historical and tourism value.
According to him, the site deserves careful preservation, professional documentation and sustainable development, noting that its forest environment, rock formation, cultural memory, and archaeological character make it an important asset that must be handled with wisdom.
He observed that Ugele should not be treated merely as a place of adventure or sightseeing, but a sensitive heritage landscape whose natural and cultural features must be protected while being opened responsibly for tourism, research and community benefit.
Ojo-Lanre said the visit was a practical demonstration of Oyebanji’s integrated development approach.
He noted that tourism cannot grow in isolation from the environment, forestry, culture, history, community participation, and security, adding that the Bureau is committed to working with relevant agencies to ensure that Ugele is developed in a manner that respects its heritage value and protects its natural setting.
He explained that Ugele Rock Shelter Settlement represents the kind of tourism product that gives Ekiti a unique identity, as it combines nature, archaeology, oral history, adventure, community memory, and educational value.
He said the Bureau would continue to pursue partnerships that would support proper signage, site interpretation, guide training, conservation awareness, access management, community participation, and responsible visitor experience at the site.
The team also held a meeting with the custodian of Ugele, Chief Lawrence Olotin, who expressed the readiness of the host community to support every genuine effort aimed at adding value to the settlement in a sustainable and respectful manner.
Chief Olotin assured the visiting team that the community understood the importance of preserving the site and would cooperate with the government and relevant agencies to ensure that development around Ugele does not destroy its sacredness, identity, and historical significance.
The engagement further underscored the importance of community ownership in tourism development as the government cannot successfully preserve or promote heritage assets without the support, consent and participation of the people who hold the memory, traditions and custodianship of such sites.
The Bureau and the Forest Commission agreed that the next phase of work on Ugele should be guided by sustainability, proper documentation, environmental protection, cultural sensitivity and economic inclusion of the host community.
The collaboration is expected to strengthen the positioning of Ugele Rock Shelter Settlement as one of Ekiti’s promising tourism products and as a model of how government agencies, traditional custodians, and local communities can work together to transform heritage into prosperity without damaging its soul.
Ojo-Lanre commended Governor Oyebanji for creating the enabling environment for inter-agency cooperation and for giving tourism a clear direction as a tool for economic development, cultural preservation and community empowerment in Ekiti State.
He also appreciated Deputy Governor Afuye for her consistent support for tourism development and for physically identifying with the unveiling of Ugele Rock Shelter Settlement.
He said the Bureau would continue to drive the Governor’s tourism agenda with passion, professionalism and respect for the people.
He said Ugele is not just a rock, not just a cave, and not just a tourist attraction, but a living heritage of the people of Ikere-Ekiti and a valuable chapter in the unfolding story of Ekiti tourism.
