Events

Ekiti to host sixth Hike Ekiti Mountain Safari

Published

3 years ago

April 1, 2024

The sixth edition of the annual Hike Ekiti Mountain Safari is scheduled to be held on April 1, 2024 as part of the activities marking this year’s Easter fiesta in the state.

Director General, State Bureau of Tourism Development, Wale Ojo-Lanre, revealed this during an advocacy visit.

The advocacy visit was to the State Commissioner for Information, Rt. Hon. Taiwo Olatunbosun, in Ado Ekiti.

Ojo-Lanre highlighted activities billed for the programme to include a welcome party, networking, fun games and hiking safari, as well as tours with special hiking trail to the table plateau at the peak of Abanijorin mountain at Iyin Ekiti, which is said to be 900 metres above the sea level.

He explained that the focus is to explore all opportunities to use the abundant tourism potentials in the State to attract tourists and investors, adding that the Minister of Tourism, Lola Ade-John, had agreed to join the hike and would also visit the Ikogosi Warm Springs while in the State.

He said youths in the state would, in addition, benefit from a training programme for tour operators and tour guides under the EcoGenesis Incubator Series, organised by the Federal Ministry of Tourism in partnership with the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism.

The DG explained that the EcoGenesis Incubator Series, which is an initiative of the Minister of Tourism, is a sustainable tourism entrepreneurship programme that targets residents of tourist host communities, including women, youths and small cottage services that form part of the destination’s experiences for visitors.

Ojo-Lanre said the objective is to provide a viable platform that will catalyse innovation and drive economic empowerment by helping the participants to develop, articulate and refine their skills and tourism products with the aim of lifting many out of poverty by leveraging on the abundant tourism opportunities inherent in communities across the nation.

In his remarks, Olatunbosun stressed the commitment of the Governor Biodun Oyebanji administration to the development of the abundant tourists’ sites in the state to generate revenue, adding that it was in recognition of the potentials in tourism that “Arts, Culture and Tourism” was made one of the pillars of the administration.

Olatunbosun stated that apart from revenue generation, the government also decided to partner with the private sector to develop tourism in the state to create employment opportunities and alleviate poverty at the grassroots.

According to him, the award of the Best Holiday Resort in Nigeria conferred on Ikogosi Warm Springs Resort during the fifth edition of the Hotel Managers Conference held on July 14, 2023 in Owerri, Imo State was not a fluke, but the result of a well-articulated plan to make Ekiti State a tourists destination.

He recalled that the state government also recently established a museum in honour of late Olowe Ajalemo from Ise-Ekiti, a palace sculptor renowned for his artistic dexterity, with magnificent works scattered across major museums in America and Europe.

Olatunbosun said that the government has furthermore commenced topographical survey of Tourist Center Infrastructures in the State, stressing that the state offers serenity and a wide variety of tourist attractions such as extended rivers, unique wildlife, vast tracks of unspoiled nature ranging from tropical forest, magnificent waterfalls, conducive hilltop holidaying climates, spectacular warm and cold water springs oozing out and touching, yet retaining its thermal identity.

Related Topics:Ekiti to hos Events Featured sixth Hike

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Culture

Crowds Gather for Rare Sunrise at Egypt’s Abu Simbel Temple

Published

3 weeks ago

October 23, 2026

David Ogunjobi

Hundreds of tourists gathered at Egypt’s Abu Simbel temple to witness the twice-yearly sunrise ceremony illuminating Pharaoh Ramses II’s statue

Hundreds of tourists gathered at Egypt’s Abu Simbel temple on Thursday to witness a spectacular sunrise phenomenon in which sunlight illuminated the face of the statue of Pharaoh Ramses II, an event that occurs only twice a year.

Also read: 16 Famous Cultural Festivals That Define India

The ancient astronomical ceremony drew visitors from different parts of the world to the archaeological site in southern Egypt on October 22, one of two dates associated with the phenomenon.

The second occurrence takes place on February 22, when the rising sun illuminates the temple’s interior.

Egyptian tour guide Yasser Fouad described the occasion as extraordinary, saying some visitors had stayed overnight to secure the opportunity to witness the event.

“Today is an extraordinary day, everyone is keen, there are people who stayed over the night, foreigners who actually spent the night in Abu Simbel to see this phenomenon,” Fouad said.

The Great Temple of Ramses II at Abu Simbel dates back to the 13th century BC and is among Egypt’s most prominent archaeological attractions.

Built during the reign of Ramses II, one of ancient Egypt’s most powerful pharaohs, the temple is renowned for its monumental statues and sophisticated architectural design.

The twice-yearly sunrise phenomenon is a major attraction, drawing visitors eager to witness the interaction between sunlight and the temple’s ancient structure.

The dates have traditionally been associated with significant moments in Ramses II’s life.

October 22 is commonly linked to his birthday, while February 22 is associated with his accession to the throne.

However, the precise historical reasons behind the dates remain debated.

Some archaeologists have proposed alternative explanations, including that they may have marked the pharaoh’s coronation and birthday.

Abu Simbel underwent a major international rescue operation in the 1960s, when archaeologists and engineers relocated the temples to protect them from flooding caused by the construction of the Aswan High Dam.

The monumental structures were cut into large blocks and reassembled at a higher location, preserving the site for future generations.

The relocation was one of the most significant archaeological preservation projects of the 20th century.

Despite the move, the temple continues to attract visitors for its ancient Egyptian art, monumental architecture and remarkable alignment with the rising sun.

Also read: 16 Famous Cultural Festivals That Define India

The annual gatherings highlight the enduring appeal of Egypt’s archaeological heritage and the continuing fascination with the astronomical knowledge and engineering achievements of its ancient civilisation.