Chairman of the Lagos State House of Assembly Committee on Tourism and Culture, Solomon Bonu, says Lagos must urgently move from talking about tourism development to actually implementing its long-standing Tourism Master Plan.
Speaking at a breakfast session with the Association of Nigerian Tourism Reporters, Bonu admitted that the plan has remained largely dormant.
“The ministry has not done what it ought to do,” he said, adding that he was part of the team when the master plan was first launched during his time as Special Adviser on Tourism.
He disclosed that a technical implementation committee made up of former permanent secretaries and directors has already been set up.
The committee is awaiting final government approval to begin work across key areas such as transportation, agro-tourism and medical tourism.
Bonu also addressed concerns over budgeting and accountability in the sector.
He confirmed that the Ministry of Tourism will appear before the Public Accounts Committee following an Auditor-General’s report.
His team, he said, has been inspecting theatres, film city sites and tourism monuments to verify claims. Some substandard projects, he noted, were rejected and contractors asked to refund payments.
He urged the public to demand answers whenever ministries fail to account for funds.On the long-neglected Point of No Return in Badagry, Bonu said the governor has approved funds and that work will commence shortly.
Previous consultants on the project have been dismissed for non-performance.
He also expressed frustration over Lagos’ failure to maintain a major annual tourism event.
Bonu recently sponsored a motion establishing Yoruba Heritage Month, which has been approved by the House and the governor, but implementation has been slow.
He promised to query the ministry during its next appearance before his committee.
Bonu shared his personal journey from LASU lecturer to Special Adviser and now legislator, noting that his commitment to Badagry communities drives much of his work.
He said tourism must become a collective project involving government, citizens and the media.
“Tourism is everybody’s business,” he said, urging stronger collaboration to position Lagos as a global destination.
Reporting by Chioma Ezike