As part of efforts to boost the Lagos Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the State Government has unveiled its Cultural Mission Initiative, designed to showcase the Lagos cultural heritage to the world and aid partnership with countries globally.
Through this initiative, the government also aimed to boost local and foreign tourists visit all year round to Lagos as well as increase buying and selling between the tourist and their host.
It noted that the vision behind the initiative is to make Lagos the culture powerhouse for Africa, where joint festivals, educational exchanges, and tourism promotions will be determined.
Spearheading the initiative, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Tourism, Arts, and Culture, Idris Aregbe, noted that Lagos’ rich cultural heritage must be promoted, saying we must tell our story to the world.
While stressing that the mission will solidify Lagos as global hub for culture, arts, and tourism, the governor’s aide stressed that the initiative will strengthen diplomatic ties with nations worldwide.
Aregbe disclosed this at the launch of Lagos Cultural Mission Movement at the Nike Arts Gallery, Lekki, yesterday, theme: “Advancing the Essence of Culture”, featured art exhibitions, cultural performances, and traditional food display, which was attended by representatives from over 20 embassies.
According to him, the Lagos State Cultural Mission Initiative is to ensure a year-round calendar of activities designed to create ongoing opportunities for learning, collaboration, and global partnerships.
“We are using this mission to promote international collaboration and advance cultural diplomacy between Lagos and other nations.
“Through this mission, we are creating lasting cultural partnerships that will not only benefit Lagos but also build bridges and foster mutual respect and collaboration with our international friends. Together, we are advancing culture and elevating Lagos as a global meeting point for creativity and connection.
Under the initiative, Aregbe said the youth will have the platform to interact with elders, get acquainted with the state’s cultural heritage to prevent it from going extinct.
He described it as a journey to explore, discover and celebrate the beauty of the state to increase investor confidence in the commercial nerve centre.
“We need to be able to tell our story and sit down and learn more about our values. We came up with this Lagos Cultural Mission, and what we intend to do is to tell our story and make sure that we appeal to lovers of Lagos.
“Let’s see how we can help each other, let’s see how we can cater for more youths on the streets. We have a lot of people waiting to add value to Lagos, we want to continue to give them a platform,” he added.
Earlier, the founder of Nike Arts Gallery, Nike Okundaye-Davies, appealed to the minister of interior to make entry visa easy for tourists, saying this will encourage more visitors into Nigeria.
“We want the minister to make visa easy for those who want to invest. It is difficult to get a Nigerian visa, we need to address this”.
