Lagos State government has unveiled its Cultural Mission Initiative designed to showcase the Lagos cultural heritage to the world and aid global partnerships.
The special adviser to the governor on Tourism, Arts and Culture, Idris Aregbe who disclosed this in Lekki at the launch of Lagos Cultural Mission Movement with the theme, “Advancing the Essence of Culture”, that featured art exhibitions, cultural performances and traditional food display.
According to him, through the initiative, the government also aimed to attract local and foreign tourists all-year round to Lagos as well as increase buying and selling between the tourists and their host.
He added that the vision behind the initiative was to make Lagos the culture powerhouse for Africa where joint festivals, educational exchanges and tourism promotions would be enhanced.
Aregbe noted that Lagos’ rich cultural heritage must be promoted, saying “we must tell our story to the world.”
He emphasised that the Lagos State Cultural Mission Initiative is to ensure a year-round calendar of activities designed to create ongoing opportunities for learning and collaboration.
“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,” he stated.
Under the initiative, Aregbe said the youth would have the platform to interact with elders and 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 investors’ confidence in the commercial nerve centre.
Earlier, the founder of Nike Arts Gallery, Nike Okundaye-Davies, appealed to the minister of interior to make entry visas easy for tourists, saying this would encourage more visitors into Nigeria.
“We want the minister to make visas easy for those who want to invest. It is difficult to get a Nigerian visa; we need to address this,” she said.
