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In its bid to further reposition Lagos as a fast growing tourist destination, Folorunsho Coker, Lagos state commissioner for Tourism, Arts & Culture has said the Sungbo Eredo Trench, Ejinrin Slave Trade Market and Port including Badagary will be fully developed as tourists’ destinations.
The commissioner made this known on Friday at the ministerial press briefing on the first year anniversary of the administration of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Center, Alausa Secretariat, Alausa, Ikeja.
According to him, within the past year, the ministry has carried out studies on the development of monuments such as Sungbo Eredo Rampart which is regarded as one of Africa’s most prominent monuments.
“These monuments located in Eredo Town, Epe division, the Ejinrin Slave Market and Port, and the first post office in Lagos will be redeveloped. We have plans of rehabilitating the heritage sites which are all unique landmarks of our heritage as a people,” he explained.
In addition, he said the State Government has entered into agreement with the Federal Government to upgrade the National Museum located at Onikan. “The State Governor, Mr Ambode and the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed visited the National Museum to upgrade the monument into a more befitting international standard in preparation for the celebration of Lagos @ 50 coming up in 2017. After completion, the edifice will be a pride for all Nigerians and add value as a befitting tourist centre within the state.”
L-R: Steve Ayorinde, commissoner, Information and Strategy, Folorunsho Coker, commissoner, Tourism, Arts & Culture with Adebimpe Akinsola, special adviser to governor on Arts & Culture at the media briefing.
Furthermore, he said the Badagary Heritage Museum is not left out of the plans. “The ministry has conducted findings to ascertain the present state of the Badagary Museum and other heritage sites in Badagary with a view to arresting the obvious deterioration of the facilities. It was discovered that the Badagary Museum requires a total and complete restoration and rehabilitation in many areas. A complete overhaul and remodelling of all the galleries and a provision of adequate functional facilities. We need modern infrastructure to cope with the expectation of visitors and tourists.”
In the last one year, the ministry has also embarked on creating a tourism branding for the state with the ‘One Lagos’, ‘Love Lagos’ and ‘One Lagos Fiesta’ brands. “The ministry recognised the importance of strategic branding of destinations to the development of tourism and is exploiting the identified benefits of destination branding by registering the ‘One Lagos’, ‘Love Lagos’ and the ‘One Lagos Fiesta’ brands at the trademarks registry. The ‘One Lagos’ brand which is the master brand for Lagos is packaged to showcase the true spirit of Lagos trough different creative expressions while leveraging on the city’s soft power to reverse the negative conversation often associated with Lagos.”
And so the campaign has reinvigorated tourism across the state with the ‘One Lagos Fiesta’ successfully hosted in December 2015 in five divisions of the State, Epe, Agege, Ikorodu, Bar Beach and Badagary.
“Lagosians were treated to an inclusive series of events with music, food, drinks, comedy, dance and theatre, for five days from 27th December 2015 to the early hours of 1st January, 2016.”
In addition, the redeveloped Apapa Amusement Park has changed the way families and residents in Lagos hangout at weekends. “The State Government in conjunction with other stakeholders and a new concessionaire, took interest in the resuscitation of the park and birthed a new Apapa Amusement Park. We seize this opportunity to reiterate the readiness of the state government for investment ideas to replicate the park in other parts of the state.”
Also speaking at the event, Steve Ayorinde, commissioner for Information and Strategy, Lagos State, said in his introductory remark that it is habitual for the State Government to give account of its stewardship to Lagosians to celebrate its one year in office.
“The tradition is to explain to Lagosians what we have done in the last eleven months. For Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, Tourism, Arts and Culture is a very important ministry. One of his campaign promises is to use tourism, arts and culture, sports to generate wealth for the state,” he said.
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