Yemisi Dada
Lagos State government will continue to take advantage of its tourism potential, population and investment to drive the growth in the Arts, Culture and Tourism thereby showcasing the results on the global map.
Special Adviser to the Governor on Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mr Idris Aregbe, stated this while speaking with newsmen after an executive tour of the John Randle Center for Yoruba Culture and History at Onikan.
Mr Idris noted that touring the Yoruba Culture museum with local and foreign travel and tourism enthusiasts give credence to the rich cultural heritage in Lagos in a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere which he believes will draw most foreign investors and partnership for Lagos.
The Special Adviser who maintained that Tourism and entertainment events should not be about detty December alone but all year round, commended Governor Babajide Sanwo-olu for the nod and give investment in the sector to thrive and draw global attention to Lagos which was evident during the Christmas and New year celebrations in the state.
“Our museum is huge, what we have done differently is that we have been able to make sure that it is about our own thing, to bring people together.
” This is our role as a government so that people can see the beauty of our city.
“Today we have brought in various stakeholders to spread the good news about Lagos State, we mean business, I’m happy that we have a governor that is passionate about tourism.
Some of the tourists who joined in the tour including MD of the popular African cultural show Goge Africa, Mrs Nneka Isaac-Moses, commended the Lagos State government for the cosy environment and richness of Artefacts which was in the past, present as well as projected into the future with the AI generated videos displayed in the museum, coupled with the economic value chain to be generated by the J.Randle center.
“I have been to several museums around the world in the last twenty five years, it is a documentation of the past, the present and what blew my mind was that they projected into the future. Lagos is the touch light for cultural preservation and tourism development in Nigeria, if every states, ethnic groups can put together something similar to J.Randle museum, it will be easier for those of us that are into destination promotions, MD Goge Africa says”
Dignitaries who participated in the executive tour include representatives of the Oba of Lagos, the white cap chiefs, Yoruba Legendary Actor, Prince Jide Kosoko, students of Eko Akete Junior and Senior High Schools, among others while there were cultural display by different ethnic groups with food and drinks to the delight of attendees.