The Lagos State Ministry of Culture and Tourism has concluded plans to grow domestic tourism for the benefit of all and to open up the potentials of the various local government areas in tourism.
Speaking on Tuesday in Lagos during a visit to the Chairman of Oshodi Isolo local government, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism, Mrs Adenike Adedoyi-Ajayi disclosed that there is a need for synergy between the state and the local government in order to fully promote the peculiar culture of the people and ensure maximum implementation of the policy on Domestic tourism.
Mrs Adedoyi-Ajayi also said that the ministry is ready and willing to partner with willing local government to develop their tourism potentials and that training of Tourism officers in the local areas remain the priority of the state.
She posited that some local government councils have been pencilled down for the pilot scheme and Oshodi-Isolo inclusive, stressing that revenue accruable from oil is dwindling and that the next earner will be tourism if properly harnessed.
In her words “there is a need to nurture community tourism as the community understands their culture and tourist sites more than anybody. So in growing domestic Tourism, we must carry the local councils along, so that we train them and prepare them for the task. Local councils will be the ones to identify where their tourism sites are situated, their arts and culture. As a pilot scheme, Oshodi-Isolo, Ikorodu, Epe, Badagry, Surulere and Eti Osa have been chosen, so we need the cooperation of the Executive chairman to provide an adequate working environment for our desk officer to be sent here.”
The PS equally highlighted the advantages inherent in tourism and stated that if well managed, it will even reduce social strives across the country as it will also be used to promote inclusiveness and communal living.
In her reaction, the Vice Chairman of Oshodi-Isolo local government, Mrs Modupe Badmus-Aregbe who stood in for the Executive Chairman, Otunba Kehinde Almoroof Oloyede, the Vice-chairman thanked the team for the special consideration for Oshodi to be part of the pilot scheme and assured that the needed synergy will be provided to assist the tourism officer in the discharge of his or her official duty.
She equally reeled out that the local government celebrates several cultures and festivals, which includes the annual Egungun, Oro and Igunnuko festivals.
Mrs Badmus-Aregbealso mentioned the ASA festival as well as the popular Oshodi day as some of the cultural and arts activities celebrated in the local government.
She further mentioned that since the assumption of the new government under Otunba Oloyede, there has been ease of doing business with the construction and rehabilitation of twenty five roads as well as drilling of twelve borehole water in all the wards of the council.
The vice-chairman however maintained that the tourism programme if properly implemented will also benefit the children who will learn more about their culture and art, thus will not see their culture and arts as inferior.
