The Lagos State Government has inaugurated a nine-man Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the successful hosting of the Y2021 Summit on Culture, Arts and Heritage (SCAH 2021).
The State Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mrs. Uzamat Akinbile-Yussuf, who is also the Chairman of the Committee, inaugurated its members on Tuesday at Alausa, Ikeja. The team comprises some top government officials from the State Executive Council as well as representatives of the African Union office in Nigeria.
Akinbile-Yussuf named the committee members from the government side to include the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Gbenga Omotoso; the Special Adviser on Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mr. Solomon Bonu and the Special Adviser on Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs, Mrs. Solape Hammond.
Other members of the Committee include the Head, Culture and Tourism, AU-Nigeria, Mr. Kehinde Quadri-Adu; Ms. Charity Danladi; Mr. Olamide Juwon; Mrs. Morola Babalola and Mrs Abiola Adelana.
The Commissioner disclosed that the Committee has a mandate to look at the terms and conditions required for a successful hosting of the summit in Lagos.
She said: “The Committee members are expected to come up with the content, terms as well as what Lagos State and the African Union need to do. In another month, the Committee should be able to come up with its implementation plans for the summit”.
“The implementation plans, as will be made known by the committee members, will be forwarded to Mr. Governor for his approval, and I am sure he is also passionate about the development of tourism in the State”, the Commissioner stated.
The Committee Chairman said the eventual outcome of the summit is important to the State government, adding that she wanted people to see Lagos State as one of the top three tourism sites in the world.
“When you talk about tourism in the world, you talk about Dubai, South Africa, Rwanda, just to mention a few; but I want Lagos from whatever level we are presently to become among the top three in the world. We want to use this summit to actually push Lagos among the top three tourism destinations in Africa and the world at large”, Akinbile-Yussuf explained.
While expressing hope that the committee would deliver a successful summit for Lagos State and the African Union at large, the Commissioner advised members to put in their best in terms of capacity, and ensure strong marketing for the successful hosting of the summit.
The Nigeria representative of Africa Union, Economic, Social and Cultural Council (AU-ECOSOCC), Mr. Olasunkanmi Adebusuyi, assured the State government that the committee would ensure a successful outcome of the summit.
Adebusuyi, represented by the Head, Culture and Tourism, AU-Nigeria, Mr. Kehinde Quadri-Adu, said the essence of the summit was to promote tourism after the COVID-19 pandemic that had ravaged the industry.
