By Victor Ogundipe
In furtherance of the progressive governance vision of His Excellency, Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji, Governor of Ekiti State, that government agencies must work together and not operate in silos, the Ekiti State Bureau of Tourism Development and the 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.
The collaboration is designed to ensure that Ugele, one of Ekiti’s emerging heritage-tourism assets, is not only promoted as a tourism destination, but also preserved as an ecological, cultural, historical and archaeological treasure for present and future generations.
It will be recalled that the Governor of Ekiti State, His Excellency Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji, had, through the Deputy Governor, Chief Mrs 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, Barrister 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 had 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 as a sensitive heritage landscape whose natural and cultural features must be protected while being opened responsibly for tourism, research and community benefit.
The Director-General of the Bureau of Tourism Development, Barrister Wale Ojo-Lanre, said the visit was a practical demonstration of Governor 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.
Ojo-Lanre 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.
Barrister Wale Ojo-Lanre commended Governor Biodun Abayomi 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 the Deputy Governor, Chief Mrs Monisade Christiana 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, stressing that 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.