Our Reporter
-Set To Train 5,000 Youth in Creative Sector
The Lagos State Government has announced a strategic shift in its tourism development focus, revealing plans to place significant emphasis on enhancing beach tourism development, promoting the state’s coastal attractions, and transforming Lagos into a premier beach tourism destination.
The Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mrs. Toke Benson-Awoyinka made this known on Monday during the Y2024 Ministerial Press Briefing held at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre, Alausa, to commemorate the first year of the second term in office of Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, Governor of Lagos State.
She added that the initiative, which is expected to boost local economies, create job opportunities, and attract both domestic and international tourists, will in the long run contribute significantly to the overall growth of the state’s tourism sector.
Benson-Awoyinka listed the key aspects of the development plan in the Beach tourism development to include the improvement of infrastructure around popular beaches, increased security measures, and the promotion of sustainable tourism practices to preserve the natural environment.
The Commissioner said the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture is working on new regulations to ensure visitors’ safety and enhance infrastructure along the Lagos waterways for tourism purposes.
According to her, efforts are underway to recover and develop key tourism assets like Topo Island in Badagry and Ilashe Beach Resort, among others, to boost the state’s attractiveness as a prime destination.
presently working on beach regulations law to enable the Ministry to regulate and build a compendium of beach operators in Lagos State”, she added.
She stated further that there will be special focus and attention to tourism development within and around Badagry going forward as the state government has identified some needed interventions within the ancient town and has made promises to preserve Badagry’s cultural heritage.
In the same vein, the Commissioner also disclosed that the Ministry would host major art enthusiasts and creatives to week-long activities from the entire African continent later in the year.
This gathering of art enthusiasts, she said, will showcase dance and drama and majorly turn Lagos into a destination of sorts for all that the industry has to offer. “We are expecting a PAN AFRICAN congregation of over 5000 creative and curious people within the Lagos metropolis. It would be a celebration of a cross-section of performance, community engagement, creativity, and innovation to generate synergy and network of Africans while celebrating the diverse nature and culture of our people”, Mrs. Benson-Awoyinka said.
The Commissioner also revealed a total of 3,748 youths have benefited from creative skill training carried out by it in the last year in partnership with film industries, including Del-York Film Academy, GIDI Creative Academy, Ebony Life Creative Academy, and African Film Academy.
She averred that the gesture by the present administration was informed by the need to bridge the identified skill gap in the creative sector and to position residents of the state who were in the creative field to compete globally with their contemporaries in filmmaking
In her words, “As of today, 3,748 Lagos youths have benefited from the training. The academies, in partnership with the state government, for this training programme are Del-York Film Academy, GIDI Creative Academy, Ebony Life Creative Academy, and African Film Academy”.
“This gesture by the government is informed by the need to bridge the identified skill gap in the creative sector and to position residents of the state who are in the creative field to compete globally with their contemporaries when it comes to film production”, the Commissioner stated.
Benson-Awoyinka noted that the testimonials of the beneficiaries were, however, very encouraging, stressing that the training and capacity building was at no cost to the participants. “I am pleased to announce that Mr. Governor has further approved the training of over 5,000 young men and women to run for the next three years”, Benson-Awoyinka said.
Speaking further, the Commissioner said the Ministry, being in charge of managing all museums and monuments erected by the state government, had restored and re-erected a bronze statue of the late MKO Abiola at Opebi Sheraton Junction and repaired the damaged Artwork (the Sekere Dancing Drum) at Old Toll Gate, Lagos.
“Apart from the above, the Ministry is expected to deliver the ongoing construction of the late Alhaji Lateef Jakande’s statue before the end of next month, June 2024”, she stated.
