Kunle Adelabu
Tourism practitioners and Supervisors for Tourism across the 20 Local Governments and Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs), in Lagos State, have resolved to jointly work together to further develop the tourism potentials in their respective localities and in the state.
To achieve this, an association, League of Tourism Practitioners, has been formed, at a meeting held at the Ebute – Iga, Ikorodu West LCDA, Ikorodu Division, Lagos State, Southwest, Nigeria, home of the Oloja of Lagos – elect and the Chief Executive Officer, Origin Gardens, Prince Abiola Kosoko, on Monday, April24, as a platform to use in achieving their objectives.
The meeting, which was at the instance of Prince Kosoko, had the presence of Hon. Quadri-Adu Shakir Kehinde. CMC, FMC, MITPN, President, Afro-Caribbean Chamber of Culture and Tourism (ACCCAT), Honourable Dayo Awodogan, Chairman, Supervisors for Civic and Tourism Forum and others.
Meanwhile, Prince Kosoko, speaking on the initiative, said that the platform will bring about further development of tourism at the grassroots levels and the state at large.
‘’The platform will nurture anyone that finds his or her way into the tourism circle in Lagos State, either privately or through a non – governmental sector’’, the convener said.
‘’This platform will promote, protect and serve as the engine room for tourism development in Lagos State and Nigeria as a whole.
‘’The gathering is aimed at meeting with every local person who is involved in tourism development, as well as designing, marketing and finding a common means of promoting tourism and developing it together.
‘’This platform will give us a path and ways to collectively promote our heritages and culture at every individual level and collectively too. It is a platform that the government and those interested in tourism will see, feel and ask questions about development plans and ways to advance the sector.
‘’We are to be a body to assist in developing tourism at the grassroots level which we all represent as practitioners, Supervisors and Special Advisers for Tourism in various council’’, Prince Kosoko said.
It was also an opportunity for the Oloja – elect to present his bigger plans for tourism development in the state, country and Africa.
‘’It is also an opportunity to present what is known as the Origin Garden in a bigger form compared to what it was before’’, he said.
After the meeting, the Convener led the team to the proposed site of the Origin Garden and Zoo along the Ikorodu – Lagos Road, where he also shared plans on the ground breaking ceremony and development of the project.
Hon. Quadri-adu Shakir Kehinde, CMC, FMC, MITPN, President, Afro-Caribbean Chamber of Culture and Tourism (ACCCAT), described the coming together as an initiative that would shape the tourism sector in the state, country and the continent as a whole.
He commended the Oloja – elect, council functionaries and other tourism practitioners/stakeholders at the meeting.
‘’I want to thank and express my undiluted appreciation to His Royal Highness Abiola Kosoko, Chairman, Supervisors for Civic and Tourism Forum, Honourable Awodogan and every other gladiators and amazons that are part of the history-making initiative today’’, he said.
‘’What happened today is the antidote that will shape the tourism potential of Lagos State, Nigeria and the Continent of Africa. I eulogize the name of God for being part of this wonderful initiative.
‘’Now is the time to wake up from the slumber; Now is the time to salvage our heritage; Now is the time to bring out those artefacts and use them for the development of our dear Centre of Excellence; now is the time to provide job opportunities for our teeming unemployed young Nigerians; now is the time to say ‘NO’ to intellectual robbery and now is the time to increase the GDP of Lagos and Africa through Tourism development’’, he said.
Some of the Supervisors for Tourism that spoke at the meeting, also commended Prince Kosoko for the initiative and pledged their total support.
