.. Visits Bureau of Tourism Development
In a strategic move to promote indigenous culture, heritage tourism, and value re-orientation among youths, the Eyemowa of Ikole Ekiti, High Chief Fadekemi Fafure has officially unveiled the Miss Ekiti Indigenous Tourism & Heritage Beauty Pageant initiative.
During a courtesy visit to the Ekiti State Bureau of Tourism Development, the traditional chief explained that the initiative was conceived as a cultural intervention aimed at preserving Ekiti’s heritage and correcting the growing erosion of values in contemporary beauty pageantry.
Speaking on her vision, the Eyemowa Fadekemi Fafure , emphasized that the pageant is designed to promote Ekiti heritage tourism while inculcating cultural consciousness, ethics, and traditional values in young people.
“This initiative is not about bikinis or body display. It is about culture, ethics, values, identity, and heritage. Beauty must reflect who we are as a people, not what erodes our moral and cultural foundations,” she stated.
Eyemowa Fadekemi Fafure further noted that many modern beauty pageants no longer take cognisance of indigenous values, ethics, and societal mores, thereby contributing to the gradual pollution of cultural identity.
“As a traditional chief and promoter of culture, I am deeply disturbed by how our values and ethics are being daily assaulted through beauty pageantry that ignores decency, tradition, and moral responsibility. This initiative is my response—an effort to restore dignity, revive our cultural values, and project Ekiti’s heritage with pride,” she added.
Eyemowa Fadekemi Fafure explained that the Miss Ekiti Indigenous Tourism & Heritage Beauty Pageant will focus on traditional ethics, indigenous knowledge, cultural presentation, and tourism advocacy, positioning participants as ambassadors of Ekiti culture rather than mere parade contestants.
In his response, the Director-General of the Ekiti State Bureau of Tourism Development, Barrister Wale Ojo-Lanre, commended Chief Mrs. Fadekemi Fafure for her cultural proactiveness and commitment to tourism promotion through heritage and value resuscitation.
Barrister Ojo-Lanre described the initiative as timely and aligned with the Bureau’s mandate of promoting sustainable tourism and preserving Ekiti’s rich cultural assets. He assured the High Chief, Fadekemi Fafure ,the Eyemowa of Ikole Ekiti, of the Bureau’s support, noting that initiatives that emphasize indigenous identity, youth engagement, and cultural sustainability deserve institutional collaboration.
The visit concluded with discussions on possible areas of partnership to ensure the success and sustainability of the pageant as a yearly cultural tourism project in Ekiti State.