September 21, (THEWILL) – The Lagos State Government has reiterated its commitment to the development of the tourism sector in the state and harnessing the rich tourism and cultural heritage of the state.
The State Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mrs. Toke Benson-Awoyinka, disclosed this while speaking with journalists shortly after a tour of arts and culture facilities and sites in the Onikan area of the state, describing the tour as an initiative to explore the untold story of Lagos State.
Benson-Awoyinka said the present administration intends to leverage the state’s tourism potential for economic growth, with emphasis on collaboration with the public and private sectors.
Accompanied by Mr. Abubakar Suleiman, Managing Director of Sterling Bank Plc, and Mr. Olugbile Holloway, Director-General of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM), the Commissioner visited the John Randle Centre for Yoruba Culture, National Museum, Onikan House, and Freedom Park.
She said the coming together of the agencies was aimed at growing the state’s economy through tourism, saying, “The key takeaway from the tour is that Lagos State is open for the business of tourism. This explains that Lagos is ready to promote the state’s rich indigenous contents which include arts, culture and heritage.”
Benson-Awoyinka noted that the Lagos State Government has collaborated with various industries to boost tourism businesses in the state, while also ensuring an enabling environment for investments.
“Lagos is a huge city that is filled with so much history, so much heritage. The tour is to show the residents and the world the potential of Lagos tourism, and also for us to start telling our history and not being told by other people. It is also to show our children that there is so much embedded in Lagos,” she said.
The Commissioner explained that the government has no business being in business but would rather create a conducive environment for businesses to thrive. She said part of the reason for having the tour with the Managing Director of Sterling Bank was because of the bank’s track record in the tourism industry.
She said, “It’s a collaboration, the government is supposed to create an enabling environment for businesses to thrive. We are not supposed to be the ones running the tourism business. So, Sterling Bank is here showing us what they have done in this place to enhance and boost tourism.”
Speaking, the Director-General, National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM), Olugbile Holloway, called for greater collaboration between the state and the Federal Government to showcase Lagos State as a tourism destination.
He said, “I think the most important thing is partnership. As I always say, we must begin to tell our stories. The National Museum itself is a national monument. By partnering with Lagos State we can make the national museum a tourist hub in a wider ecosystem of cultural tourism.
“Onikan itself is a cultural hub. Today, we went to Onikan House. We went to the National Museum and we went to the Randle Centre. You know we also have the MUSON Centre here. This in itself can be made a tourism hub.
“By working with the Lagos State Government and incorporating the museum, it is obvious that with this handshake, gone are the days when you will say this is state and this is federal. As far as visitors are concerned, they don’t have any business knowing whether it is state or federal. They just want to come and enjoy themselves.”
In addition to serving as a tour guide, Mr. Abimbola Ogunshote, the Director of the John Randle Centre for Yoruba Culture and History in Onikan, Lagos, provided the tourists with information on the events and activities of the Yoruba tribe both before and after the arrival of the British colonial administrators. Interestingly, there was an indoor four-claw artistic tree where visitors eagerly posed for photos.
Ogunshote explained that the Yoruba in the diaspora once worshipped various gods and goddesses, including Sango, Ogun, Ifa, and Oya, among others. He revealed that historically, the Yoruba tribe and African slaves hid their gods under Catholicism, calling orishas saints within the church, a practice known as santeria.
The highlight of the day was the presentation of an electric automobile produced by Qoray, a Sterling Bank affiliate, to the visitors.
Janefrances Ebere Chibuzor is a Tourism Writer at THEWILL
