The transformation of the Ikogosi Warm Springs Resort and Conference Centre has gone beyond infrastructure upgrades and tourism development, extending to the empowerment of local residents and the creation of employment opportunities for hundreds of people in the host community.
Speaking during a media briefing at the resort in Ekiti State, the General Manager of Glocient Hospitality, Olanrewaju Balogun, said the company’s investment strategy has deliberately focused on community development by equipping young people with vocational skills and integrating them into the resort’s operations.
According to Balogun, several youths who were previously unemployed and involved in anti-social activities have been trained in technical trades and are now gainfully employed.
“From this community, young boys that were smoking and being a nuisance were trained as plumbers and other technical professionals. We brought them into the system and made them part of the transformation process,” he said.
He explained that many of the youths who participated in the resort’s renovation and expansion projects have since become skilled artisans and members of the facility’s maintenance workforce.
“They are now electricians and Plaster of Paris (POP) ceiling experts. These are people who were doing nothing before and were regarded as area boys in the town. Today, they have acquired skills and are earning a living,” Balogun added.
The resort’s community-focused approach has also translated into significant job creation. Balogun disclosed that the facility currently employs more than 230 workers, with approximately 70 per cent of the workforce made up of women. He noted that the majority of employees were recruited from the local community and surrounding areas.
READ: Africa: Ikogosi Resort Records 157% Revenue Growth, More Than Doubles First-Quarter Earnings
He recounted the story of one beneficiary whose life had been transformed through the initiative.
“One of them took me to his house and I was shocked. This was a young man whose mother had lost hope in him. Today, he lives comfortably in a two-bedroom apartment with air conditioning. It shows the impact that opportunity and empowerment can have on people’s lives,” he said.
Balogun described the initiative as part of the company’s commitment to giving back to the host community and ensuring that the benefits of tourism development are shared by local residents.
“It is a way of giving back to the community. We are here for the long haul,” he stated.
He also highlighted the vision of Cavista Holdings, the parent company behind the resort’s revitalisation, noting that the organisation deliberately chose to rely on Nigerian talent rather than foreign experts.
According to him, the Chairman of Cavista Holdings insisted that the project be driven by local expertise, believing that Nigerians possess the knowledge and capacity required to deliver world-class results.
“There are Nigerians who believe in Nigeria. The Chairman of Cavista Holdings made it clear that he did not want foreign experts. His position was that if similar projects could be delivered abroad, then Nigerians have the capacity and expertise to transform their own country. That is exactly what we are doing here,” Balogun said.
The resort’s transformation has become one of the most prominent examples of tourism-led community development in Ekiti State, with investments in infrastructure, workforce development and local content creating new economic opportunities while improving livelihoods in the host community.
