Ekiti State has welcomed Queen Abiodun Idowu Wonderful after she emerged as Queen Moremi of the South West Association of the Deaf (SWAD), following a regional pageant that brought together contestants from the six South-West states.
Idowu, who represented Ekiti State, was received by Princess Adetoun Agboola, the Special Adviser to Governor Biodun Oyebanji on Special Education and Social Inclusion, during a visit to her office.
The queen was accompanied by female leaders in the deaf community, including Mrs Omoniyi Omotanwa Obadare, a member of the Ekiti State Disability Board, and Mrs Omoboja Ogunkuade, a former woman leader of the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD), among others.
How Ekiti’s contestant won the crown
The SWAD pageant was held on August 6, 2026, at Badagry Grammar School Hall in Lagos State. Reports on the event state that 12 contestants participated, with two representatives drawn from each of the six South-West states: Ekiti, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Ogun and Lagos.
According to the reports, contestants competed in cultural dance and a question-and-answer segment. Idowu emerged with the highest score, earning the Queen Moremi title after her performance across the different stages of the competition.
Her emergence comes at a time when SWAD is placing renewed attention on the participation and inclusion of deaf people across the region.
At a separate SWAD event in Badagry earlier in August, the association called on governments in the six South-West states to improve access to education, employment and public services for people with hearing disabilities. SWAD Chairman, Dr Taiwo Akangbe, said greater opportunities were needed for deaf people to participate fully in society.
Agboola pledges continued support
Receiving the new queen, Agboola congratulated Idowu and commended the female deaf leaders who supported and mentored her.
She also assured the delegation of continued support from the state government through her office, according to reports of the visit. Agboola said the achievement demonstrated the capacity of persons with disabilities from Ekiti to excel beyond the state.
The Special Adviser also pointed to other achievements involving people with disabilities in Ekiti.
She recalled the performance of athletes with disabilities at the National Sports Festival in Ogun State, saying they secured the state’s only gold medals at the event. That claim was reported as Agboola’s statement and has not been independently established in the sources reviewed for this report.
A wider record of achievement
Agboola also highlighted the performance of students from Ekiti’s special schools, including Awelewa Eniola of Government Special School, Ido-Ekiti.
Independent reporting confirms that Awelewa received national recognition after placing fourth in the visual arts category of the 2025 AGILE Games. Ekiti AGILE reported that his painting attracted the attention of First Lady Oluremi Tinubu, while the Ekiti Government later highlighted his achievement and presented him with a wheelchair.
Punch also reported that Awelewa placed fourth in a national arts competition in Abuja and received a cash prize and a motorised wheelchair.
These achievements provide a wider backdrop to Idowu’s recognition. Beyond the pageant itself, her emergence places another achievement by a person with a disability from Ekiti in the public spotlight.
For SWAD, however, the significance of the event extends beyond the crown. The association has continued to use its cultural and community programmes to draw attention to the need for greater access to education, employment and public services for deaf people across the South-West.
Idowu’s reception in Ekiti therefore represents both a celebration of a regional pageant victory and another moment of recognition for the state’s deaf community.
