By Annette Ikponmwonba | September 1, 2026
KEYPOINTS
- The Ekiti State Government is seeking to use cultural festivals to expand tourism and generate economic opportunities across the state.
- Communities have been urged to formally register their cultural festivals with the Ekiti State Bureau of Tourism Development.
- The government says registration will improve visibility, coordination, branding, legal recognition and preservation of cultural heritage.
- The Epa Festival in Omuo-Ekiti has formally registered with the state government as part of the initiative.
- Officials say well-promoted festivals can benefit hotels, transport operators, food vendors, event centres, fashion designers and other businesses.
- Organisers of the Epa Festival want to transform Omuo-Ekiti into a tourism hub and attract visitors from Nigeria and abroad.
MAIN STORY
The Ekiti State Government has begun efforts to harness the economic potential of cultural festivals as part of its broader strategy to develop tourism in the state, The Director-General of the Ekiti State Bureau of Tourism Development, Wale Ojo-Lanre, said communities across the state had been encouraged to formally register their cultural festivals with the bureau.
Ojo-Lanre spoke in Ado-Ekiti on Tuesday during the formal registration of the Epa Festival in Omuo-Ekiti, According to him, registering festivals will help the government work with communities to improve their organisation, branding and visibility while also preserving Ekiti’s cultural heritage.
He said official registration would provide festivals with better coordination, consultancy and legal recognition while helping organisers maintain peace and order during major events, The government also believes that successful festivals can attract tourists and create business opportunities for people across different sectors of the local economy, Ojo-Lanre pointed to a recent cultural event in Ado-Ekiti that attracted more than 3,000 visitors as an example of the economic possibilities that could come from properly promoted festivals.
THE ISSUES
The major issue is how Ekiti can transform its cultural heritage into sustainable tourism and economic activity, The state government believes that increased tourist traffic could generate more business for hotels, transport operators, filling stations, event centres, food vendors, fashion designers and other service providers.
Ojo-Lanre also highlighted government investments and policies aimed at supporting tourism, including the completion of the Ekiti State International Cargo Airport, tourism policies, a tourism development master plan, improved security and infrastructure, and the establishment of the Bureau of Tourism Development.
The airport, he said, has helped improve access to the state and could encourage more visitors to travel to Ekiti, Another issue is the need for private-sector participation. The government says it can provide legislation, infrastructure, security and policy direction, but private investors will be essential in turning tourism opportunities into commercially successful ventures.
WHAT’S BEING SAID
Ojo-Lanre said the registration of cultural festivals would enable the government and communities to work together to develop festivals into major tourism events, He said the administration of Governor Biodun Oyebanji understands the economic value of tourism and has increasingly focused on festivals, carnivals and cultural events capable of attracting visitors.
The Chairman of Ekiti East Local Government, Oluwasegun Ojo, said the revival of the Epa Festival was driven partly by the desire of residents and young people to reconnect with their cultural heritage, The festival was last celebrated in 1982 before being revived in 2022, Ojo said organisers now want to move beyond simply celebrating the culture and develop the seven-day festival into a major tourism attraction capable of generating economic activity in Omuo-Ekiti.
He said hotels were fully booked during the previous edition and that organisers were working to attract Omuo-Ekiti indigenes living abroad. A committee has reportedly been established in the Americas to coordinate diaspora participation, Traditional chiefs in Omuo-Ekiti also welcomed the festival’s formal registration, saying state recognition could give it greater visibility and institutional support.
WHAT’S NEXT
The Ekiti State Bureau of Tourism Development is expected to continue working with communities to register and develop their cultural festivals, For the Epa Festival, organisers plan to expand the seven-day programme, increase publicity and attract visitors from other parts of Nigeria and the international community.
The success of the initiative will depend on how effectively the government and communities can combine cultural preservation with tourism promotion, infrastructure, security and private-sector investment, If properly developed, festivals could become recurring economic events that generate income for businesses and communities while promoting Ekiti’s cultural identity.
BOTTOM LINE
Ekiti State is positioning its cultural festivals as potential drivers of tourism and economic growth, By formally registering festivals and improving their organisation, visibility and infrastructure, the government hopes to attract more visitors and create opportunities for local businesses, The revival and registration of the Epa Festival could serve as an example of how community traditions can be transformed into recognised tourism attractions while preserving cultural heritage.
