On the afternoon of April 30, 2025, tourist guides at the Idanre Hills attraction, assigned by the Ondo State government, gathered at the entrance, seated on four wooden stools. They engaged in conversations about politics and family while grappling with the reality of dwindling visitors, primarily students on excursions. Many guides felt displaced, akin to orphans in a neglected facility. Observers noted their vital role in this decaying space, reminiscent of an elderly woman drained by her adult children and left to face her decline.
One guide, speaking anonymously, lamented the deterioration of this once-renowned tourist center due to failed maintenance. He stated that the community needs to support both itself and the site. He emphasized, saying:
“The community needs to support us and itself. Though I’m not from Idanre, I believe revitalizing this site would benefit not just the community but the entire state. If the Ondo State government hires for tourism, it wouldn’t just be locals from Idanre; it will include people from all 18 local governments. If the government assists us, it would make a difference. No civil servant is likely to invest here, but if the Idanre community takes action, I’m confident we can revive this place. The current state of the site is dismal compared to the vibrant days under Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, when Idanre Hills was celebrated.”
The guide pointed to another attraction in the area, emphasizing that Idanre Hills has significantly deteriorated. Its reception, once bustling with activity, has become a haven for rabbits and rats, overtaken by weeds. Many window sills are missing or broken, the roof has collapsed, and numerous artistic features have been stolen. The hills have also been encroached upon by timber flitchers.
Idanre Hills is a natural landscape situated in Idanre, Ondo State, Nigeria. Its beauty has captivated humans for centuries, as the Idanre community has lived among these boulders for nearly a millennium. Since emigration began declining in 1923, the area’s topography, vegetation, and wildlife have remained largely undisturbed. Festivals historically provided occasions for local residents to reconnect with their natural environment and reenact significant historical events. The site was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List on October 8, 2007, in the Cultural category, yet its chances of being included on the main list now appear uncertain due to recent challenges.
Documents obtained online reveal that, during the preparation for the World Heritage listing, baseline data on the natural endowment of Idanre Hills—including flora, fauna, climate, and geology—were collected in 2007 by a team from the Department of Ecotourism at the Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA). This was done at the request of the Ondo State government and the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM).
Dr. Charles Oladiipo Akinde, a notable High Chief in the community and a tourism expert involved in various stages of the site’s development, remarked that
“As a natural and cultural landscape, Idanre Hills stands out well among all other places that have been so listed.”
“The ancient Idanre Hills had been a home for the Idanre Community for almost a millenium. The site was described in 1894 by the then colonial Governor that “for my part, I’d far rather spend a couple of week among these delightful hills than at the Canary Islands.”
“Apart from its touristic value, the flora and fauna of the place had been under scientific study for several decades. The topography of the place will be of great value to mankind.”
He however expressed disappointment at the poor management of the place, reiterating his various proposals to the state government and various international organisations on the need to revamp the place.
The tourism center gained prominence in 2009 with the introduction of the Mare Festival, which celebrated the cultural and traditional heritage of the Idanre people, including sports-oriented mountaineering. However, the festival ceased after its 2015 edition, following the departure of Governor Olusegun Mimiko, who had initiated it. Subsequent administrations, including those of Oluwarotimi Akeredolu and Lucky Ayedatiwa, have exploited the center’s revenue without addressing maintenance needs.
The community initiated recently, its domestic version of Mare Festival, Ketewa. Unfortunately, this festival has not been able to measure up to Mare Festival in terms of its impacts on the Idanre Hills.
Attempts to reach Barrister Smart Adeuyi Omotadowa, the incumbent Chairman of the Local Government Area, went unanswered at the time of this report.
If action is not taken soon, the center risks fading into historical oblivion, its once-glorious heights now forgotten. The guides, the community, and the state face a pivotal moment—one that could either revitalize this treasured site or condemn it to decline. The need for action is urgent; the survival of Idanre Hills depends on the collective will of its people and their leaders.
