By Wale Ojo-Lanre
They arrived in a burst of yellow and corporate power — seventy high-ranking officials from MTN’s Corporate Services and Sustainability Division, led by the suave and visionary Tobechukwu Okigbo. Their mission was simple: find a perfect, posh destination for their annual team-building retreat. Their assumption was firm — luxury and excellence could only be found in Lagos, Abuja, or some coastal paradise. But fate — and curiosity — led them to Ikogosi Ekiti, the home of the legendary Warm Spring.
They weren’t prepared for what awaited them.
The resort, now glowing under the masterful management of Glocient Hospitality Limited, stood like a crown jewel of Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji’s tourism renaissance — a vision so clear, it turned what was once a quiet facility into a living Eden. As the executives settled into their chalets, the air hummed with excitement and disbelief. The first night greeted them with soft music, flawless service, and a dinner that redefined Nigerian hospitality — Ekiti pounded yam served with steaming, velvety soup that made even the most stoic executive close his eyes in reverence.
“We came into this beautiful resort last night,” confessed Funso Aina, MTN’s Senior Manager, External Relations. “We were overwhelmed by the quality of service, and that pounded yam — oh, that soup! It’s an experience on its own.”
Morning came with golden sunlight and adventure. The team set out at dawn, hiking through the thick embrace of Ikogosi Mountain, laughing, panting, and discovering what it meant to walk on the seam between wonder and creation — the place where cold and warm water flow side by side, refusing to mix, a miracle that continues to defy science. The atmosphere was electric — selfies flashed, laughter echoed, and nature herself seemed to applaud.
Back at the resort, breakfast awaited — but so did destiny. As they settled into the rustic restaurant, the door opened and a man in a long green coat stepped in. His robe was embroidered with the names of Ekiti’s hidden treasures — Arinta Waterfalls, Osun River Source, Abanijorin Rock, Oke Sagbonke — and his cap bore the bold inscription, VISIT EKITI. Three aides followed behind him, dignified and silent. The room paused.
Before anyone could ask, Funso Aina stood and smiled, “Ladies and gentlemen, here comes Barrister Wale Ojo-Lanre, Director-General of the Ekiti State Bureau of Tourism Development. The man who wears Ekiti like a story and sells it like a song. Let’s hear him.”
What followed was enchantment in motion. Ojo-Lanre spoke not as a bureaucrat, but as a storyteller — his voice rising and falling like the rhythm of the hills that birthed his passion. He painted Ekiti in living colour — the spiritual calm of the Source of Osun River at Igede, the poetic landscape of Agbelota in Ilawe, and the majestic fall of water at Ipole-Iloro. He spoke of Governor Oyebanji’s tourism rebirth — how the state was redefining hospitality, how private partnerships were reviving heritage, and how Ekiti was ready to host the world.
By the time he stopped, something had shifted. The seventy executives looked at one another — and unanimously agreed to rewrite their itinerary. They would see Ekiti for themselves.
The convoy rolled out again, this time not for corporate bonding, but for discovery. At Igede, they stood awestruck before the sacred Source of Osun River, surrounded by silence so pure it seemed to hum. At Agbelota in Ilawe, the balance of rock and green left them speechless. And at Ipole-Iloro Waterfalls, they surrendered to wonder — laughing, posing, drenched in awe as crystal water cascaded behind them.
“This is unbelievable,” said Tobechukwu Okigbo, eyes bright with admiration. “Ekiti is loaded. When it comes to tourism, this state is sitting on gold. I assure you, we’ll be back — and MTN will explore how to collaborate with the Bureau of Tourism Development to add value to this vision.”
His colleague Muiz Adegbenro added, “The DG sold Ekiti so passionately at breakfast that we couldn’t resist. We had to see for ourselves — and now, I get it. This is the Land of Honour and Beauty indeed.”
When the buses finally turned back toward Ikogosi, the mood was different — lighter, warmer, grateful. They had come to relax but found revelation. The myth of Ekiti had become their memory.
And so, seventy corporate minds — trained for data, performance, and balance sheets — left with hearts conquered by waterfalls, heritage, and the humble power of storytelling.
As they waved goodbye to the land of warm springs and warmer hearts, one truth lingered like perfume in the air: Ekiti is not just a destination. It is an experience.
So that’s what happened to the seventy MTN staff in Ekiti.
They came to bond. They left transformed. And they promised to return.
Visit Ekiti — where nature, culture, and corporate Nigeria meet.
visitekiti.ek.gov.ng
— Wale Ojo-Lanre Esq., Director-General, Ekiti State Bureau of Tourism Development