The Lagos State Ministry of Tourism, Arts and culture has announced her commitment to promote tourism culture among the 5 divisions in Lagos state and as well create job opportunities for the youths around the attraction centres.

Gbenga Adewale

The Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mrs. Uzamat Akinbile-Yussuf, who made this known in a chat with newsmen in Alausa Ikeja on Tuesday, announced that the Ministry has already started implementing the Community Based Tourism, CBT, an aspect of the State's revised Tourism Masterplan had trained 150 youths to serve as tour guides as Plans are ongoing towards the organisation of an arts and craft exhibition in Lagos State as part of efforts to boost youth employment.

Encouraging unemployed youths in Lagos to take advantage of opportunities available in the sector, Mrs Akinbile-Yussuf noted that they could go into arts and crafts, especially the production of items of cultural and aesthetics values, which could be purchased as souvenirs by continental and international tourists coming into Lagos.

She informed that the people from Brazil have made their desires known to visit Nigeria to come and learn our traditional belief and could possibly provide jobs through this and very free even if you do not want to join them in worshipping their idols.

"The stakeholders' input is very critical in this newly planned exhibition, which without doubt is a community-based program that would be economically, traditionally and educationally be of immense benefits to our people in all the areas so far identified", Akinbile-Yusuf said

The Commissioner stated that her Ministry had been engaging community leaders in selected local government areas on the need to curb identified challenges, such as harassment by area boys and ways of harnessing the gains of domestic tourism.

According to her, the 6 pilot LGAs for the CBT, namely Ikorodu, Epe, Oshodi Isolo, Surulere, Eti-Osa and Badagry cut across the division of the State and findings conducted by the State government shows that identified points of tourism in these areas can be economically viable for the residents in particular and the State in general.

The Commissioner therefore, urged residents of the affected communities and all Lagosians to be more receptive to tourists.

"Let me explain fully that the exhibition being planned are been done in collaboration with the Chairmen of all the local governments and the local council development areas, including all the monarchs and Baales in such areas.

She encouraged the Baales and chiefs to train the people of their wards on how to be accommodating, be friendly and ensure the youth creativity to the community investors as well as to render souvenirs like cup with a brand name of the community in return to the investors and tourists. Do not forget that they would come and spend their money and time in the community, so we need to encourage and make them feel at home with us", the Commissioner said.

The Commissioner added that the government through the ministry of Waterfront is working tirelessly to ensure ease on water transportation in order to guarantee lagosians safety on water ways and traffic reduction among all the axis of Falomo to Badagry.

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