The ancient city of Ondo, in Ondo State, was agog last week as the 2025 edition of Asun Carnival organized by the La Campagne Tropicana Group took place. The carnival further reasserted the city’s position as an emerging tourism destination in Nigeria. Activities for the three-day event included the novel Carnival on the Hill at the La Campagne Forest, Hills and Caves Resort, Ita Nla, Cave Night Clubbing, Kolokun competition, Asun delicacy preparation, football competition and others.

Events kicked off with the Carnival on the Hills at the resort in Ita Nla where nature and colourful attires of the carnival float created a distinct spectrum that would, for many years, invoke pleasant memories.

At the hills resort, top business men and public office holders from within and outside Ondo joined in the carnival float led by the initiator of the carnival, Ambassador Wanle Akinboboye.

The resort is nestled deep in the Ita Nla hills in Ondo which is blessed with caves, spectacular rock formations and vintage bird-eyes view of Ondo city. Some of these caves have been converted into night club and restaurant for fine dining. The evening of the second day hosted a well-attended night club with a live band.

The climax of the activities was the Asun preparation competition at the sporting complex of the Adeyemi University of Education, Ondo. The Asun preparation completion was won by Akinyele Soledayo, while Akinifesi Akinboboye came second and Sunday Femi was third. Guests had the opportunity to taste sample the different Asun delicacy prepared by the competitors.

Also there was a tradition goat chasing competition, Kolokun, introduced this year during the carnival. Damilola Aborishade, Favour Akingbogun Olajide, Olatunbo Olwatobi were the winners, going home with live goats they caught during the competition.

Otunba Ogunwumiju Moyinolorun Taiwo, the Parliamentary Secretary of the Ondo State House of Assembly, and member representing Ondo West Constituency 1 in the Ondo State House of Assembly participated in the novel hill carnival. He spoke on the experience and efforts to promote Ondo as a destination: “There has been so much tourism in Ondo as of late. I think it is as a result of the fact that people are getting to see the potentials that Ondo city has always had, the potential of serene environment full of hills, wonderful culture and tradition. Ondo is rich in heritage, like the traditional ruler, the Osemawe’s palace. There are so many heritage sites in Ondo, even our landscape, the environment is so rich, and of course we have good sons and daughters that have made progress in life such as Dr. Wanle Akinboboye who is from Ondo but has established so many great things outside the Ondo Kingdom, and he is now coming back to add so much to Ondo Kingdom. So, of course Ondo is full of rich potentials. You can see there a couple of golf courses in Ondo, Nibanola Resort is one of them, and then other Ondo indigenes and non-indigenes are coming to invest in Ondo because we are the future of tourism in Africa.”

Taiwo also praised the efforts of the La Campagne in projecting Ondo and said the state government is working on a policy to support such efforts: “It is so exhilarating to see that people like Dr. Wanle Akinboboye has invested so many resources in Ondo. It is our job as members of the government and those in elective individuals to support businesses and I know very much that the Ondo State is very happy with such project. I know that in the past he has made promise to visit and put specific financial structure to people who are ready to invest in such projects like this in Ondo State. So, I won’t be surprised if that financial structure starts very soon. We expect that the Ondo State Ministry of Culture and Tourism take special interest in places like this to support them, because they have already used their private funds to set it up. So, we are happy with such initiative and I am sure that the government will support such efforts. In the coming month, you will hear of programmes and government interventions for individual businesses like this. I am sure that this place will be given all the support from the government to ensure it grows.”

Asked why the influence of the state government is felt in tourism, he said: “I will agree with you that we haven’t done even half of what we should, we have so much potentials to showcase, so we need to put a lot of investments into this. That is why one of the bills we have to sponsor in this 10th assembly, is a bill to create a special intervention fund to support businesses like this (La Campagne Tropicana Hills and Caves Resort, Ondo), to ensure that government can come in to put put counterpart funding for projects such as this, and even projects that exist, to be able to ask how can the government come in and meet them half way so that places like this can be sustainable and attract people from outside the town to come here. So, we are definitely planning to push the bill ad expect a good end and ensure in the coming years, support for businesses like this will be at optimal rate.” He promised that the 2026 edition of the carnival would be much more elaborate and flamboyant than this year’s edition.”

Also speaking on the carnival, the Ondo East council area mayor, Joshua Ogunbielemi, described the carnival as the best the city has seen in recent time, saying visitors and participants had fun. He praised the colour and attention to details by organisers of the event. He explained further on the concept of the Asun carnival: “When you call Asun, the first thing that comes to your mind is roasted goat meat. That is our culture. Anywhere you mention Asun, even if you are in the Diaspora, everybody would want to visit and see what is happening, and also have a taste of it. It is a delicacy that you can never take your eyes away from. Anywhere you hear Asun, Ondos would want to be there because it is the best.”

Ayotunde Akinfolarin. The Executive Chairman of Ondo West local Government Area also promised support and cooperation by the council to continue to improve on the carnival as it aligns with his 15-point development agenda, saying the carnival can only grow bigger with each passing edition. He said: “I have a 15-point agenda, umber one on the 15-point agenda is public-private partnership (PPP), that is the easiest way to go. The government cannot do it alone, so we invite topnotch investors, tourism experts, like our friend Wanle Akinboboye who has been all over the world. That is a critical springboard that we have laid for this place, that our tourism can take off, and with him, the sky is the limit for tourism.

“You see there is a critical overlap between my 15-point agenda and the acronym Destination Ondo. For instance, for the first time, I am having what we called the first Ondo West Business and Investment Summit. So, we are talking the same thing with La Campagne Tropicana. We are just using different languages. If you are inviting investors to Ondo, the best English for it is Destination Ondo. That is why everything he is doing here, we have decided that we are going to be part of it from A to Z. we believe in it, we associate with it, and we flow with it.”

With a healthy night life, quality hotels and resorts, and notable programmes such as Asun Carnival, Ondo city’s profile, will continue to rise.