KEY POINTS
- Glocient Hospitality invested $200,000 in solar energy at Ikogosi to cut unsustainable diesel costs.
- The solar infrastructure now provides 12 hours of daily renewable power and saves N500 million annually.
- Cavista Holdings’ subsidiary transformed Ikogosi from an uninhabitable facility to a sustainable resort since 2022.
The smell of wet earth and vegetation greets you early in the morning. The springs are famous. The transformation happening behind the scenes is the bigger story.
Journalists who attended a media immersion at Ikogosi Warm Springs Resort in Ekiti State found a facility that no longer resembles the neglected property Glocient Hospitality took over in 2022. At that point, the resort was largely uninhabitable. Today it is being positioned as a model for what deliberate, long-term local investment can produce in Nigeria’s tourism sector.
Lanre Balogun, General Manager of Glocient Hospitality, a subsidiary of Cavista Holdings, was direct about what drove the early decisions. “If you had been here four years ago, Ikogosi was not a place that was habitable,” he said. “Every transformation you see was executed by Nigerians.”
A $200,000 solar bet to escape the diesel trap
Like most businesses across Nigeria, Ikogosi felt the full weight of the country’s energy crisis. Diesel costs at the resort reached more than N46 million in a single month at the height of recent fuel price increases. Balogun described the situation plainly. “We spent over 46 million on diesel alone. That is not sustainable.”
The company responded by investing approximately $200,000 in renewable energy infrastructure, including solar panels, battery systems and supporting facilities. The investment now provides roughly 12 hours of renewable energy daily and is projected to save the resort more than N500 million annually in energy costs. That is a significant recapture of operational funds that can be redirected into the facility itself.
Building a business, not just a resort
The physical experience at Ikogosi reflects the investment. Hiking trails wind through vegetation covering multiple species. Recreational facilities include five-a-side football pitches, volleyball, basketball and badminton courts. Meals carry the feel of local cooking rather than generic hotel fare.
Balogun said Glocient’s objective goes beyond operating a resort. The company aims to convert neglected tourism assets into businesses that generate sustained economic and social value. He said local expertise and long-term capital are the combination Nigeria’s tourism sector needs, and Ikogosi is the proof of concept.
