By Raji Rasak
Badagry (Lagos State) – The Lagos State Government says it will launch an Application that would show all its arts and cultural events in a year.
Mr Solomon Bonu, the Special Adviser on Tourism, Arts and Culture to Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, made this known at the maiden of Badagry Heritage Festival 2019.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the festival was organised by the state government in conjunction with the 10 local governments/Local Council Development Areas (LCDA) in Badagry Division.
NAN reports that theme of the festival was: “Harnessing Badagry’s Tourism Potential for a Greater Lagos”.
According to Bonu, all events relating to arts and culture in Lagos State will appear immediately once you log in to the app.
“The fifth pillar of the state stands for entertainment and tourism and Gov. Sanwo-Olu has tried enough to focus on Badagry because of its enormous potential of tourism.
“Very soon, anywhere you are in the world, just log in to this app and you will see the events on arts and culture that is coming up in the state,” he said.
Bonu said that the app would be launch around August 2020, adding that the state government was coming up with another programme called “Ibile Festival.”
According to Bonu, this will incorporate all cultures in the five divisions of Lagos.
“Presently, we see how our cultures are being bastardised, because we taken them as the things of the past.
“It is sad now to see Police arresting masqueraders on the street, simply because the culture has been been bastardised.
“Through ‘Ibile Festival’ all arts and cultures of the five divisions in Lagos will be brought back.
“A date will be fixed for cultural display throughout the state,” he said.
On Badagry Heritage Festival, Bonu said that Lagos was harnessing the cultural heritage of the town to project it to the world.
According to him, the festival organised by Lagos State Government across 10 LGAs/LCDA is in fulfilment of the mandate embedded in the state agenda toward development of tourism and economic empowerment.
“One unique thing about the Badagry Heritage Festival is that, this will be the first time the division will be coming out in this form to project the peculiarities of communities of each LGA and LCDA as one.
This connote the unity of purpose we have so clamoured for as a division.
” It is also unique as we hope it will draw more international tourism investors to the area,” he said.
Earlier, the Chairman, Badagry LGA, Mr Olusegun Onilude, said the sociocultural and economic transformation of Badagry Division would contribute to a greater Lagos.
Onilude said the division held a crucial position in the history, arts and culture that could be nurtured to bring significant socioeconomic growth as an integral part of Lagos.
“We are naturally endowed with vast waterways, clement weather and other natural endowments that we can build our tourism development.
“More importantly, we have a hospitable people that epitomises the hospitality Lagos is known for.
“These are ingredients for sociocultural and economic transformation of our division as our contribution to a greater Lagos,” he said.
Onilude commended other chairmen from the division for coming together to lay solid foundation for the socio-cultural and tourism development of Badagry.
