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Sanwo-Olu pledges more focus on tourism to exploit its economic potentials

 

Andrew Iro Okungbowa

The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has pledged the continuous focus of his administration on the development of tourism so as to explore its economic potentials to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the state.

This is as the government said it has budgeted N4.635 billion for the building and development of different capital tourism projects across the five divisions of the state in the 2022 budget.

The governor made this known in Badagry Monday when he commissioned the Slave Market Museum International build by his government. He was represented at the event by the Secretary to the State Government, Mrs. Sherifat Folashade Jaji.

He state that: ‘‘This project was well thought out as part of strategies to actualise the goals and objectives of the second ‘E’ pillar of our T.H.E.M.E.S agenda which stands for Entertainment and Tourism. Our goal is to develop and maximise the economic potentials of this sector.’’
The governor further noted that the museum, will aside of contributing to tourism, is not to glorify the obnoxious events of the slave trade era but to draw attention to our past history, learn from it and promote national and cultural integration among others.

‘‘I must emphasise that the intention of this project is not to glorify the obnoxious trade but to record the happenings of the past and teach younger generations the historical antecedents of different races and appreciate our collective history and cultural integration,’’ he said.

Earlier in her welcome address, the Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mrs. Uzamat Akinbile-Yusuf, who ministry is in charge of the museum, said the state government has devoted N4. 635 billion for the development and building of different capital tourism projects in the state, with the newly commissioned slave museum as one of the projects.

Noting that the investment on the project by the government was driven by the need to preserve and transfer knowledge aside of its tourism agenda.

Akinbile-Yusuf further noted that: ‘‘As government, we have come to recognise and support the huge potentials latent of the tourism sector and its great potential to contribute immensely to the growth of our economy in Lagos.

‘‘In 2017 alone, the tourism sector contributed about 800 billion to our state’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) with significant contributions from sites such as the Black Heritage Museum here in Badagry.

‘‘For this year 2022, a total amount of 4.635billion has been allocated for specific tourism projects such as the development of the J Randle Centre for Yoruba Culture, which will also be commissioned soon.’’

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