by George Okojie

Although the transformational leadership of Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu has impacted greatly on all sectors of the state, it is worthy to note that the governor whose first term agenda was anchored on T.H.E.M.E.S agenda has given priority attention to the Tourism and Entertainment sector which are major cardinals in his THEMES Plus developmental agenda.

In barely five years in office, here are some of the actions Governor Sanwo-Olu’s administration has taken to make Lagos state viable as far as tourism, entertainment, art and culture as the ecosystem is concerned.

His ultimate goal is to drive tourism, create employment and increase the contribution of the non-oil sector to the state’s gross domestic product.

To demonstrate his administration’s commitment to the entertainment sector, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu turned the sod on the $100 million African Film City project in Epe, Lagos State.

The project, which was designed to empower creative talts, build capacity and double financial and training support for the sector, was stemmed out of the state tourism master plan under his THEMES Agenda. The masterplan was then rigorously driven by Mrs. Uzamat Akinbile-Yusuf when she led the Ministry of Tourism Art and Culture.

The Film City proposed to be constructed on 100 hectares of land will create more opportunities for skill development in modern filmmaking, increase grants for short stories as well as put Lagos on the global filmmaking map.

This massive infrastructure and multi-million dollar project to be built in partnership with the Del-York Group, upon completion, is expected to become the ‘Silicon Valley’ of creative ideas not just for Nigerians but also for the entire continent. Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu through this project is encouraging stakeholders in the film production to tell our stories to the world.

The masterplan, driven by the Lagos Tourism Policy, aims to harness and develop the state’s tourism resources into different products of attraction for both in-bound and out-bound tourists; unleash Lagos tourism to the world through aggressive digital marketing and promotion; stimulate and encouraging creative arts industry, to support and encourage the development of tourism initiatives at the local communities.

Under Governor Sanwo-Olu, some areas of tourism activities that were hitherto not given attention have now been captured in the masterplan and this will engender all-round development of every aspect of tourism in the coming years.

With the tourism masterplan, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has shown his determination to cover all aspects of tourism in the state, which would be for a greater Lagos.

Interestingly, one of the promises Governor Sanwo-Olu made was to complete the projects relating to tourism started by his predecessor. He set for work by establishing the Lagos State Creative Industry Initiatives, LACI. The idea behind the establishment of LACI is to further reposition the creative sector in line with the goals of his administration to develop phases of tourism in the state to its optimal potentials and showcase the state to the world while addressing skills deficiency in the creative industry.

The LACI vision is to use the state’s rich, natural resources and diverse cultural heritage to promote the sustainable development of creative space as a viable sector of the economy in a manner that enhances, promotes and preserves the richness, quality and unique features of Lagos. The initiative aims to spotlight Lagos by bringing together creative talents that will expand the scope of opportunities inherent in both tourism and the creative industries.

With LACI, the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture under the watchful eyes of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu partnered with two private firms; the EbonyLife Academy and Del-York Creative Academy to groom the next set of professionals in the creative space.

Ebonylife, took about 480 creative participants in the quarterly physical classroom while Del-York Creative Academy, provided a hybrid version of online and offline training for 1,000 participants from the creative industry. They were trained in story development for series and film, cinematography and digital marketing.

From the inception of his administration, one of the promises Governor Sanwo-Olu made was to complete the projects relating to tourism started by his predecessor. He set for work by establishing the Lagos State Creative Industry Initiatives, LACI. The idea behind the establishment of LACI is to further reposition the creative sector in line with the goals of his administration to develop phases of tourism in the state to its optimal potentials and showcase the state to the world while addressing skills deficiency in the creative industry.

The LACI vision is to use the state’s rich, natural resources and diverse cultural heritage to promote the sustainable development of creative space as a viable sector of the economy in a manner that enhances, promotes and preserves the richness, quality and unique features of Lagos. The initiative aims to spotlight Lagos by bringing together creative talents that will expand the scope of opportunities inherent in both tourism and the creative industries.

With LACI, the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture under the watchful eyes of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu partnered with two private firms; the EbonyLife Academy and Del-York Creative Academy to groom the next set of professionals in the creative space.

Ebonylife, took about 480 creative participants in the quarterly physical classroom while Del-York Creative Academy, provided a hybrid version of online and offline training for 1,000 participants from the creative industry. They were trained in story development for series and film, cinematography and digital marketing.

Under this initiative aimed at bridging the gap in the creative sector, Mr Governor has empowered many residents of the state with tools needed to navigate the world of unemployment and they are equally equipped technically to compete globally with their contemporaries when it comes to film making.

The testimonials of the beneficiaries from LACI are very encouraging. It should be stressed that this training, which ordinarily would have cost the beneficiaries several thousands of Naira was at no cost to the participants.

There is also the Film in a box initiative of the Governor Sanwo-Olu led administration. So far people in Alimosho area of Lagos have benefited from the initiative with another 890 youths sponsored by Sanwo-Olu’s administration graduating from the African Film Academy after a free six-week intensive training.

The 890 youths were beneficiaries of the ‘Film in a Box’ programme by the African Film Academy in conjunction with the Lagos State Government, to train and empower young people in the creative industry in three different centres – Alimosho, Epe and Badagry were the locations.

The graduating trainees learnt Acting, Art Directing, Light and Lighting, Editing, Sound Production and Post-Production, among others and interestingly, some of the students during the period of their training made films. The plan was to show these films in the Cinema as a way of projecting Alimosho to the world. The project was driven by the late Coordinator of the Academy, Mrs Amaka Peace Anyiam-Osigwe.

As a firm believer of continuity in governance Governor Sanwo-Olu resuscitated and completed the abandoned J.K Randle Centre for Yoruba Arts and Culture which has been the symbol of peace and culture, as it reminds tourists of the roles returned slaves played in Lagos at the beginning of the twentieth century.

It is an edifice that is key to raising the bar of robust entertainment and tourism in Lagos and a source of revenue generation to the state. And, to the delight of Lagosians and culture enthusiasts, Babajide Sanwo-Olu championed its delivery before the expiration of his first tenure.

Another significant development is the Glover Hall Memorial Hall. His predecessor started the project while Governor Sanwo-Olu completed and cut the tape of the edifice. The Hall has become a centre of creative theatrics expression where live stage performances are held to the delight of the people of Lagos Island and its environs.

Other Heritage and historical sites, shrines, and monuments have been discovered in Ikorodu, Olomo-metta and Ilase riverine communities of Badagry in the last four years with the Governor promising that the sites would be documented, developed and preserved by his administration.

Also to the credit of Governor Sanwo-Olu is Eko NAFEST 2022 , as the state hosted the National Festival of Arts and Culture (NAFEST) Festival. It was an opportunity for the state government to market its rich Cultural heritage to the world and speak to Nigerians for them to protect the unity of the country.

Governor Sanwo-Olu used the occasion to charge every Nigerian to see their diversity, ethnicity and religious tolerance as an opportunity to unite without allowing politics and other things to divide them.

The Governor blazed the trail when his administration threw its weight behind the foremost Nigerian music award, Headies. It is on record that Governor Sanwo-Olu’s administration happened to be the first government entity to support the academy award.

The Headies Award held in Atlanta State of Georgia in the United States of America, had local musical artistes, producers, DJs, music video directors and song writers rewarded for their talents and creativity.

Governor Sanwo-Olu’s attendance at the academy award was applauded and his intervention, which was adjudged a powerful turning point for the industry, was seen as a genuine gesture by his administration to boost the output and capacity in the creative sector.

Observers say by this intervention, the Governor deliberately and intentionally facilitated the export of music products to the world as this would translate to growth of the country’s GDP.

Since assumption of office, Greater Lagos Fiesta, an annual entertainment event which is another flagship programme by Babajide Sanwo-Olu has continued to engage and entertain Lagosians at the end of every year.

Ikorodu Town Hall, Epe Recreation Centre, Agege Stadium, Badagry Grammar School, Eko Atlantic City and the recent one, Sol Beach Victoria Island are the usual venues for the Fiesta that bring top-notch musicians and upcoming artists to thrill thousands of their fans and funseekers.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has consistently expressed commitment to explore more on tourism, entertainment and gaming for economic and social development in the state.

He said, “Lagos, known for its commercial and political grandeur, is regarded as the commercial and entertainment capital of Africa and has remained committed to the development of the nation’s tourism sector.

“This is through entertainment and cultural export across various entities like movie, music, fashion and recently gaming.”

Sanwo-Olu assured Creative Art Practitioners in Lagos State of his government’s unrelenting commitment to the growth of the sector, describing it as one of the major drivers of tourism development in the state.

He added that, “Creative art occupies a special place in the E pillar of his administration’s T.H.E.M.E.S agenda, which stands for Entertainment and Tourism. Over three years of the implementation of our development agenda, we have left no one in doubt about our desire to fully harness the largely untapped potentials in the entertainment sector, especially the creative arts component”.

Amid the strides in the sector, the state’s Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture Mrs. Toke Benson believes that Lagos State would soon gain global recognition showcasing her rich cultural heritage, music, people, and cuisine, which she deemed incomparable.

In the same vein, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mr. Idris Aregbe has assured that, “Under the visionary leadership of Mr. Governor, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, and with the steadfast support of the Lagos State Ministry of Tourism, Arts, and Culture, we aim for nothing short of excellence.

“The Lagos State Ministry of Tourism, Arts, and Culture stands firm in its mission to nurture our rich cultural heritage, promote artistic endeavors, and propel the tourism sector forward as a cornerstone of economic development.

“Together, let us embark on this transformative journey towards a brighter, more prosperous future for Lagos State.” B