By Dolapo Ogunleye Adewunmi, Kehinde Ajayi
The Ekiti State Bureau of Tourism Development team, led by its Director-General, Barrister Wale Ojo-Lanre, today toured the Arts and Culture Exhibition Pavilion at the ongoing EKIFEST 2025 and made a startling yet fascinating discovery — a yam tuber shaped strikingly like a human left hand.
The unusual yam was found at the Ikere Local Government Exhibition Stand, drawing admiration and curiosity from visitors and experts alike. Barrister Ojo-Lanre, who personally identified the yam, described it as “a testimony to the divine fertility and agricultural wonder embedded in Ekiti soil — a land where nature performs miracles daily.”
He noted that this latest discovery reinforces Ekiti’s reputation not only as the “Land of Honour” but also as a hub of agro-ecological marvels. “This is a reminder that our land is not ordinary. Our soil carries the blessing of biological diversity capable of producing natural anomalies that attract global scientific interest,” he said.
Experts have highlighted that such morphological deformities in tubers can occur due to genetic mutations, hormonal influences, or adaptive responses to environmental factors such as soil texture, mineral composition, or microclimatic variations. In the case of Ekiti, the rich loamy soil, high organic matter, and balanced rainfall patterns provide an ideal agro-ecological ecosystem where even natural phenomena assume artistic and symbolic forms.
“This yam is not just a root crop — it is a botanical sculpture crafted by nature, a dialogue between soil biology and divine creativity,” one agricultural expert noted.
Barrister Ojo-Lanre emphasized that the Bureau will document this specimen as part of its Tourism Heritage Biodiversity Register, a growing collection that catalogues natural wonders across Ekiti State. He added that similar findings, such as the 12-foot African Tête plant discovered in Ikoro-Ekiti earlier this year, underscore the urgent need to integrate agro-tourism and environmental tourism into the state’s broader tourism framework.
The Ekiti State Bureau of Tourism Development is working closely with agricultural and academic institutions to transform such discoveries into educational and tourism attractions — merging science, agriculture, and culture. The phenomenon of the “Human-Hand Yam” will now be part of the Ekiti Natural Wonders Exhibition, which aims to position the state as the destination for ecological curiosity, agricultural innovation, and cultural storytelling.
“Nature speaks in Ekiti,” Ojo-Lanre concluded. “From the rocks of Iyin to the springs of Ikogosi, from the wonders of Arinta Waterfalls to this yam in Ikere, our land continues to prove that God planted creativity in our soil.”
Issued by:
Ekiti State Bureau of Tourism Development
2nd floor Cabinet Wing Governor office Ado Ekiti Ado-Ekiti
Contact: visitEkiti.ek.gov.ng
