LAGOS – The Lagos State government is presently working on identifying its many heritage sites and getting them recognised, documented and captured by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).
This was disclosed by Mrs. Toke Benson Awoyinka, the Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Lagos State during her appearance on Mainland 98.3 FM, Lagos, which was monitored by our correspondent.
The interview was anchored by Mr. Frank Meke, the veteran award-winning cultural tourism journalist and Bunmi Bade Adeniji, On Air Personality (OAP).
According to her, the State government was working on some materials it intended to use to brand the state, saying that this would enable it to tell its story by itself.
Awoyinka insisted that the soul of tourism in Nigeria was Lagos with its vibrant culture and energy, which she said were incomparable to any state in the country.
She emphasised that every resident of Lagos had a daily party energy, as Lagosians are full of vibrancy, energy, and life, adding that there are many exciting things about the state, its nightlife, the beaches, the restaurants, the cultural heritage and others.
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She said: “We are working on some materials we would use to brand Lagos. We do not want anybody telling us our story. When they tell our story, they tell it from their perspective and the way they see it, as they do not give an accurate account of the story and the picture of who we are, what we are, and what we stand for, as people of culture, and diverse values.
“In Lagos, you find one of those over five hundred tongues speaking people, and this comes into play because Lagos is the epic centre for all Nigeria.
“When people ask what the soul of tourism in Lagos is, we tell them it is the diverse culture, food, nightlife, restaurants, and beaches covering over 182 kilometres of the beautiful ocean front.”
She explained that the State government a few weeks ago, joined Mr. Abubakar Suleiman, the Managing Director of Sterling Bank to visit some heritage sites around the Broad Street Marina area of Lagos.
Also, she explained that the ministry was working hard to properly package the various tourism opportunities in Lagos.
Besides, on the recent stakeholders meeting of the hospitality sector on the allegation of multiple taxes, leaves, and fees, the commissioner disclosed that the ministry and its counterparts and the office of the Special Adviser on taxation were making efforts to harmonise fees and taxes.
She added: “For instance, if you want to pay for parking, it is a fee and not a levy and/or a tax. You want to pay for waste collection, it is also a levy, not a tax, but in Nigeria, we believe everything is a tax.”
