There is a beautiful connection between the official visit of His Excellency, Senator Kashim Shettima, GCON, Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, to Ekiti State tomorrow and the now symbolic Visit Ekiti cap which once caught his attention at the United Nations Tourism event in Abuja.
What started as a mere photograph has become a story.
What looked like an ordinary moment has become a memorable chapter in the journey of Ekiti tourism visibility.
–The Abuja moment–
At the United Nations Tourism event in Abuja, the Vice President, who represented President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, noticed the Visit Ekiti cap proudly worn by Barrister Wale Ojo-Lanre, Director-General of the Ekiti State Bureau of Tourism Development. The inscription on the cap was simple, bold and direct: Visit Ekiti_.
Perhaps it was the clarity of the message.
Perhaps it was the confidence of the branding.
Perhaps it was the audacity of a small state declaring itself before the world as a destination worthy of attention.
Whatever it was, the cap caught the Vice President’s attention. He took the photograph. He posted it on his verified social media handle. And by that simplerom cap to commissioning*
Tomorrow, that same Vice President, His Excellency, Senator Kashim Shettima, GCON, will be visiting Ekiti State in an official capacity. According to the Ekiti State Government, the Vice President will be in the state on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, for a one-day working visit during which he will perform the groundbreaking of the Ekiti Knowledge Zone, commission the newly built EFCC Zonal Office along Old Iyin Road, Ado-Ekiti, and commission the 1.2-kilometre Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu Flyover at Okeyinmi, Ado-Ekiti.
For many people, the visit may be seen strictly as an official engagement.For others, it may be viewed as another commissioning ceremony.
But to those of us in the tourism family, there is a deeper symbolism.
The man who once saw _Visit Ekiti_ in Abuja is now coming to Ekiti.
The man who once amplified the Ekiti tourism brand through a photograph is now stepping into the land whose identity that cap proclaimed.
The man who gave national visibility to the Visit Ekiti message is coming to the home of the message.
That is why this visit is more than protocol.
It is symbolic.
It is historic.
It is a meeting point between branding and reality.
It is a confirmation that tourism visibility does not happen by accident. It is built. It is projected. It is sustained. It is strengthened by leadership, creativity and strategic exposure.
–Ekiti showing up–
Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji has given Ekiti tourism a new life. He has not treated tourism as a mere decorative item in government. He has treated it as a serious instrument of identity, economy, culture, investment and community development.
Under his administration, Ekiti tourism has moved from mere potential to practical visibility. Sites are being activated. Communities are being engaged. Cultural assets are being brought to attention. Natural endowments are being projected. The story of Ekiti is being told with greater confidence.
From Ikogosi Warm Springs to Arinta Waterfalls, from Oke Sagbonke in Efon-Alaaye to Ugele Rock Shelter Settlement in Ikere-Ekiti, from the Source of Osun River at Igede-Ekiti to the hills, caves, rivers, festivals and heritage treasures across the state, Ekiti is no longer hiding its beauty.
Ekiti is showing up.
Ekiti is speaking.
Ekiti is inviting.
Ekiti is saying to Nigeria and the world: _Visit Ekiti_.
That was the message on the cap.
That is the message of the Bureau.
That is the message of Governor Oyebanji’s tourism vision.
And that was the message the Vice President helped to amplify when he posted that photograph.
–Branding in action–
Now, as he visits Ekiti to commission landmark projects, the connection becomes even more meaningful. The Ekiti Knowledge Zone speaks to the future. The Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu Flyover speaks to infrastructure. The EFCC Zonal Office speaks to institutional presence. The Agro-Allied International Cargo Airport speaks to connectivity. Tourism speaks to identity, memory, culture, nature and experience.
Together, they tell one story: Ekiti is rising.
Ekiti is not rising by noise.
Ekiti is rising by work.
Ekiti is not becoming visible by accident.
Ekiti is becoming visible by vision.
Ekiti is not merely wearing a cap.
Ekiti is wearing a brand.
The Visit Ekiti cap was a moving billboard. It was a silent ambassador. It carried the name of Ekiti into a national and international space. It announced the state without shouting. It placed Ekiti before people who matter. And one of those who noticed was the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
That is the power of branding.
A cap can speak.
A picture can travel.
A post can amplify.
A symbol can open a conversation.
A simple moment can become a story.
–The message ahead–
This is why we must continue to promote Ekiti with pride, discipline and consistency. Every cap, every flyer, every article, every festival, every photograph, every site visit, every cultural display and every tourism activation must carry the same message: _Ekiti is ready_.
Ready for visitors.
Ready for investors.
Ready for conferences.
Ready for culture lovers.
Ready for nature seekers.
Ready for history enthusiasts.
Ready for the world.
As His Excellency, Senator Kashim Shettima, GCON, visits Ekiti tomorrow, we welcome him with gratitude and respect. We thank him for the Abuja moment. We thank him for noticing the Visit Ekiti cap. We thank him for giving the Ekiti tourism brand national visibility.
We also appreciate President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, whose administration continues to demonstrate interest in sub-national development and strategic federal-state collaboration. We commend Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji for making Ekiti attractive to national attention through purposeful governance, peace, infrastructure and people-centred development.
–A reminder and a welcome–
The Vice President’s visit is not just a visit.
It is a reminder.
It reminds us that visibility matters.
It reminds us that branding matters.
It reminds us that leadership matters.
It reminds us that when a state is intentional about its identity, the nation will notice.
So, between Shettima’s Ekiti visit and the Visit Ekiti cap, there is a beautiful story of recognition, visibility, leadership and fulfilment.
A cap was seen in Abuja.
A brand was amplified nationally.
And tomorrow, the man who saw the cap is coming to Ekiti.
Welcome to Ekiti, Your Excellency.
Welcome to the Land of Honour.
Welcome to the home of nature, culture, knowledge and peace.
Welcome to the reality behind the cap.
■ Barrister Wale Ojo-Lanre, Director-General, Ekiti State Bureau of Tourism Development.
