The tourism and entertainment sector in Lagos State would receive due attention from the State Government in the year 2020, Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu has promised.
Governor Sanwo-Olu made the pledge at the grand finale and end of the year fun and entertainment Extravaganza organised by the state government through the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture.
The event which kicked off simultaneously in five different centres across the state namely: Ikorodu, Badagry, Agege, Victoria Island and Epe respectively on Christmas Day, climaxed on the New Year Eve and into 1st of January, Y2020 in all the centres.
Governor Sanwo-Olu who attended the Eko Atlantic Centre of the event for the grand finale in Victoria Island, assured participants that the new year holds greater potentials for the State in general and the entertainment sector in particular.
The event being the first that would be hosted by Mr. Governor since he assumed mantle of the State leadership in May 2019 was attended by his Deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, some members of the Executive Council and members of the State House of Assembly.
He specifically commended Lagosians for their large turn-out at the various venues where the event held just as he acknowledged the innovations introduced to the yearly event by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture.
In his words, “I can assure you all that this Year 2020 will be the beginning of greater, bigger and mightier things to happen in our entertainment and tourism industry. Let’s pray that Lagos continues to be prosperous just as I pray that each and every one of us will have a better year 2020 and beyond.
Commending the efforts put together by sponsors and the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture to organise a successful outing, Sanwo-Olu encouraged Lagosians to continue the new year in positivity, hopes and unlimited aspirations.
“I want to thank our sponsors and the Ministry of Tourism. This is Lagos, this is Centre of Excellence where everything started in this country. This year you are going to see unprecedented development in Lagos. It has started, we’ll begin to see it and we’ll begin to acknowledge it,” the Governor stated.
The Governor who also led the countdown to usher in the new year with the display of classic fireworks, was thrilled to impressive performances and entertainments from different artistes and cheers from the mamoth crowd at the event.
On her part, the Commissioner for Tourism, Mrs. Shuli Adebolu had earlier reported that with over 10,000 participants attending each of the five venues of the event on a daily basis, not less than 350,000 Lagosians would have participated in this year’s edition of the annual music and entertainment show.
Shuli noted that the free show was peaceful throughout the duration with participants conducting themselves in an orderly manner without any record of security breaches in any of the locations.
She said, “I am also impressed and happy that Lagosians fully participated in this year’s celebrations across the five centres. In fact I can boldly say that Lagosians conducted themselves responsibly and no untoward incident happened from the first day of the show to the grand finale. “
The finals of the Talent Hunt, which is one of the side attractions of the event across all the five centres of the show produced Samuel Olawarinde from Agege venue as the best dancer while Jazz from Eko Atlantic City venue emerged the overall best Music/Rapper.
Jazz, a female upcoming music artiste won N5Million worth recording deal while Olawarinde went home with an undisclosed amount of money.
Top notch Artistes in the entertainment industry who performed at the event were led by the likes of Olamide, Rema, Firboy, Zlatan, and Naira Marley among several others including the upcoming ones.
One of the participants and fun lover at the Eko Atlantic venue of the event, described the show as one devoid of disruption of public peace unlike similar shows organised by individuals in different areas across the State.
