Transactions in tourism exceeded N50 billion last Decmber, says Commissioner for Tourism Arts and Culture Steve Ayorinde, who speaks on the strategic policies, enabling infrastructure, tourism master plan and tourism promotion bill, among others, that make the state a preferred destination. Assistant Editor Arts Ozolua Uhakheme reports.
Lagos State Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture Mr Steve Ayorinde is upbeat about the Tourism Master-plan Governor Akinwunmi Ambode-led administration will bequeathe to the in-coming government.
He said the master-plan covers six sectors: Culture and Heritage; Films, Arts and Entertainment; Business Tourism; Nature and Adventure; Medical and wellness and Beach and Leisure.
He noted that another legacy that the outgoing government would bequeathe to its successor is the Tourism Promotions Agency Law, adding that with the law, tourism promotions subsector would grow.
Ayorinde, who spoke at the Third Nigerian Travel Awards, organised by Jumia Travels in Lagos, said it was the resolution of the Ambode-led administration to leave the legacy of a solid tourism-driven economy by conceiving a master plan as a blueprint document that would drive development and investment for the next 15 to 20 years.
He said at the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, that the last four years were committed to the governor’s growth agenda on the creative economy through Project T.H.E.S.E (Tourism, Hospitality, Entertainment and Sports for Excellence).
According to him,this informs the investment in human capital and infrastructure with impact on the creative industry, which has lived up to its promise in the last three and half years.
“It should be noted that this strategic intervention did not happen by accident, it has been a deliberate plan derived from a visionary study of the state, its demography and analysis of the creative sector, which has the capacity to absorb the teeming youth population, reduce poverty and crime as well as create jobs with multiplier effects on other sector,’’ he added.
Continuing, Ayorinde said: “The last three and half years in the state have been eventful in terms of tourism infrastructure development as well as arts and cultural promotion, which we believe, will lay the long-term foundation to make Lagos State a sustainable tourism-driven economy and a leading haven for business and leisure in Africa.
“In Lagos as you know, we relish in saying Eko For Show, but at the ministry, we see Travel and Tourism beyond the show part. We equally focus on the business and entrepreneurial component of it. We see, and we do our best to create enormous opportunities for stakeholders to further harness the tremendous economic and socio-cultural benefits of marketing a 21-million city-state and one of Africa’s Top 10 economies to domestic, regional and international visitors.
“Between June 2015 and now, our goal of making Lagos State the preferred destination for tourism, leisure and business travel in Africa as well as promoting sustainable tourism development through enabling environment for both domestic and international tourists has been largely achieved. We have forged a new alliance with critical stakeholders. We constituted a Board for the Lagos State Council for Arts and Culture to advise and assist in repositioning the culture and artistic image of the state and we executed in phases the most defining attempt in our country to beautify a state’s landscape with public art installations through indigenous artists,” he said.
According to him, a new Lagos experience that is arty and chic has been created and is being enhanced daily as government continues to facilitate an enduring infrastructural and security architecture for the business of tourism and cultural arts to thrive.
He identified the ongoing expansion and reconstruction of the Oshodi-Murtala Muhammed International Airport Road, the entry point into the state, as a major infrastructure with strong impact on tourism. He said by May, a stunning 10-lane world-class road and a multi-purpose bus-terminal that is, arguably, the biggest of its type in Africa will be completed.
Ayorinde stressed that to put the state ahead in terms of ideas, long-term investments, top-notch infrastructure and human capacity development that are necessary for the expected competition among tourism destinations in Africa requires a long term strategic plan.
According to him, other facilities, such as the Freedom Park on Broad Street, has been a shining example of a public-private sector arrangement that works.
“So also is the Amusement Park, which with the plan to create access through waterways will definitely rise in value and patronage.
“With Badagry as arguabley the leading attraction for slave-trade tourism, among others, the Badagry Heritage Museum and Vlekete Slave Market museum are just about to be re-equipped and furnished after their massive renovation. The completed ‘Point of No Return’ monument, too, is simply waiting for a major development into a theme park that can stun the world as captured in the Tourism Masterplan.”
He added that as part of efforts to encourage tourism-driven initiatives and promote Lagos as a top destination that offers variety of contents to visitors, the state provided sponsorship and/or institutional support to organisers of major international entertainment and art events, such as the Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA), All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA), AKWABAA Travel Market as well as other indigenous festivals.
Ayorinde noted that the colourful lifestyle, rich culture and the energy of Lagosians as always showcased at these events are a selling point to drive tourism traffic for economic growth.
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To him, these events provide a platform for airlines, hotels and restaurants, tour operators, travel agents, tourism boards, foreign trade missions, tourism sector travel professionals, the media and general public to interact and exchange experiences.
On the preservation of peoples’ heritage, he said the state has continued to erect new and maintain all existing heritage and historical monuments in the state. Some of the monuments that depict these and received attentions are the renovation of Tinubu Square Fountain, Statue of King Ado, the First Crown King of Lagos, Statue of Prince Olofin Atekoye. He added that the state also erected 23 new statues and monuments in parks and major public spaces across the city.
“The state government’s effort at preserving cultural heritage of the people of Lagos State and its enormous historical values also received a boost with a grant of $600,000.00 (Six Hundred Thousand Dollars) from Ford Foundation towards the architectural design of the proposed Lagos Museum to be sited at the Onikan-Marina arts district, just like the ongoing redevelopment of the J.K Randle Centre for Yoruba History and Culture within the same zone.
This project, which is due for completion soon, is the reason Lagos State has formally written the British Museum for the release of the historic Lander Stool, a sculptural work that is believed to have been taken out of Nigeria in 1863 and is presently in storage at the British Museum in London,” he said.
According to the commissioner, the state is also very mindful of culture infrastructure investments, which informed the ongoing construction of Six Eko Theatres across the state. This, he said, is a project conceived by this administration to encourage creativity and create more spaces for theatrical and musical productions and offer platforms for upcoming artistes across arts and culture sector.
Four of the six theatres located at Opebi, Badagry, Igando and Epe are almost completed and will be delivered by the contractors in May.
Interestingly, the age-old Glover Memorial Hall in the heart of Lagos is ready to wear a new look by May as restoration work is currently ongoing there. This is where the first film screening was done in Lagos State in 1903 and that iconic structure will roar back to life like a new bride courtesy of the art-loving Governor Ambode.
