The Ekiti State Bureau of Tourism Development has officially registered and certified the Gbagede Ule Ewa Festival of Emure-Ekiti, fixing December 5 as the date for its maiden edition and listing the festival among the State’s recognised tourism events.

A delegation of the Elemure of Emure-Ekiti, Oba James Babatunde Ajiboye, comprising the Technical Adviser to the Governor on Sports, Dr Olusola Osetoba, and former Chairman of Emure Local Government and Public Relations Officer of Gbagede Ule Ewa, Hon. Olu Okeya, was received at the Bureau by the Director-General, Wale Ojo-Lanre,, who presented the festival’s certificate and licence. Also present were the Bureau’s Director of Finance and Administration, Mr Sunday Adewunmi, and the Technical Adviser to the Governor on Youth Inclusion, Mr Ayo Ojo.

Speaking during the presentation, Ojo-Lanre said the registration was part of the Bureau’s drive to properly document, regulate and promote festivals across Ekiti State as identifiable tourism products.He called on communities, traditional institutions and festival organisers across the State to register their festivals with the Bureau, saying official registration gives such events legitimacy, strengthens their corporate identity and makes it easier for government and tourism stakeholders to promote them to wider audiences. Ojo-Lanre disclosed that the Bureau is developing an Ekiti State Festival Calendar and Festival Diary that will provide tourists, tour operators, hospitality businesses and other stakeholders with reliable information on recognised festivals, their dates, locations and attractions.According to him, fixing and publicising festival dates well ahead of time is essential to tourism development because visitors need sufficient time to plan their trips, reserve accommodation and build destinations and events into their travel itineraries.“A tourist should not hear about a festival when the drums have already started beating. The date must be known and promoted well ahead of time so that people can mark their diaries and plan to attend,” Ojo-Lanre said.He stressed that registration does not take ownership of festivals away from communities, but rather provides a platform for documentation, visibility, promotion, partnership and investment.

The Director-General also highlighted the economic value of properly packaged festivals, noting that their benefits extend beyond the festival arena to hotels, transportation, food vendors, fashion designers, photographers, make-up artists, artisans and other businesses.“When people travel for festivals, they spend. They pay for transportation, accommodation, food, clothes, photography and other services. That expenditure goes directly into the local economy. This is why festivals must be seen not only as cultural celebrations but also as economic assets,” he said.

Ojo-Lanre said the initiative aligns with the shared prosperity agenda of the administration of Governor Biodun Oyebanji, particularly its emphasis on tourism, enterprise development and youth inclusion.

Speaking on the Gbagede Ule Ewa Festival, Hon. Olu Okeya and Dr Osetoba said the event was conceived to showcase Emure-Ekiti’s people, heritage and tourism assets while bringing together sons and daughters of the community at home and in the diaspora.He described Gbagede Ule Ewa as a content-driven festival that goes beyond the conventional beauty pageant by celebrating beauty, intelligence, character and cultural knowledge.According to him, the festival will feature 27 amulets of cultural significance, alongside a beauty pageant, cultural parade, masquerade displays, awards and a guided tour of the historic Rock Formation, one of Emure-Ekiti’s tourism attractions.The maiden edition of the Gbagede Ule Ewa Festival will hold in Emure-Ekiti on December 5.[02/10, 20:03] waleojolanre: I was enjoying in Usi