AKWAABA 2025: GOVERNOR OYEBANJI CROWNED BEST TOURISM GOVERNOR AT PRESTIGIOUS AKWAABA 2025 AWARDS
Ekiti State Governor,Mr. Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji on Monday night was crowned Best Tourism Governor of the Year 2024/2025 at Africa’s largest tourism gathering, the Akwaaba African Travel Market in Lagos. The prestigious award, presented at the grandeur of Eko Hotel and Suites, recognized Governor Oyebanji’s exceptional achievements in positioning Ekiti as Nigeria’s most dynamic tourism destination. In a remarkable double victory for the state, Ekiti simultaneously received the award for Most Active Tourism State in Nigeria, cementing its status as the nation’s new tourism heartbeat.
Receiving the award on behalf of Governor Oyebanji, Director General Bureau of Tourism Development, Barrister Wale Ojo-Lanre dedicated the honour to the people of Ekiti, stating that the administration are merely “custodians of what they have preserved for centuries”.
The dual honours came through a rigorous selection process conducted by African Traveller Quarterly magazine in partnership with Akwaaba, with votes cast by tourism stakeholders across the continent including tour operators, investors, hoteliers and cultural promoters.
Ambassador Ikechi Uko, publisher of Travellers magazine and founder of Akwaaba, declared that Governor Oyebanji had achieved the extraordinary by lifting “an otherwise recluse tourism state into a global reference point and destination” within just two years of taking office. The awards ceremony witnessed overwhelming celebration as Ekiti State emerged from what was previously considered the periphery of Nigeria’s tourism landscape to claim center stage in Africa’s tourism conversation.
Governor Oyebanji’s path to this prestigious recognition began immediately upon taking office, when he established a standalone Bureau of Tourism Development under his direct supervision, separating tourism from the Ministry of Arts and Culture. This strategic move enabled the rapid implementation of groundbreaking initiatives including the launch of the state’s official tourism portal, the inauguration of Ekiti’s first Tourism Policy and Tourism Development Master Plan in partnership with UNTourism, and the transformation of the hitherto abandoned Ikogosi Warm Springs into Nigeria’s most vibrant resort. The administration also completed critical infrastructure including the Ado Ekiti Bus Terminal and Agro-Allied Cargo Airport while rehabilitating roads to all major tourism sites across the state.
The governor’s innovative approach to community engagement through symbolic Easter hikes captured continental attention, with the 2024 event at Abanijorin Rock of Wonders attracting Nigeria’s first Minister of Tourism and the 2025 hike at Oke Sagbonke drawing over 4,000 participants. These events inspired local communities to independently develop their own tourism initiatives, with towns like Ilogbo Ekiti showcasing their world-famous 42-headed palm tree and Ilupeju Ekiti promoting the Oke Ewo War Stones. Through enhanced security measures via Amotekun, Peace Corps, and Agro Marshals, Ekiti became Nigeria’s safest state, while business-friendly reforms created an attractive environment for tourism investors.
The awards have generated tremendous pride among Ekiti residents, with community leaders, market traders, and students expressing joy at their state’s newfound recognition as a tourism powerhouse.
The dual accolades stand as a powerful testament to what strategic vision, political will, and community partnership can achieve in transforming a state’s economic and cultural landscape through tourism development.
