Come next Friday, September 26, to January 4, Lagos will unveil the ‘101 Days in Lagos’, which aimed to revolutionise the tourism landscape and catapult the state into the spotlight as the ultimate destination for cultural and entertainment seekers, and sports enthusiasts alike.

Already, the state is poised to host E1 Lagos, the African edition of the UIM E1 World Championship. Scheduled to hold in October 2025, the event marks the debut of E1 racing on the African continent.

From the Mainland to the Island, the city will, for 101 days, host events that make it a tourism destination. The events are in sync with Governor Sanwo Olu administration’s T.H.E.M.E.S Plus Agenda, which aimed to foster an enabling environment for businesses and position Lagos as a safe, clean, and tourism-friendly destination.

This initiative, according to the Special Adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mr. Idris Aregbe, will make Lagos the continent’s tourism hub for those 101 days.

Aregbe said the state government was collaborating with stakeholders in the fashion, food, lifestyle, film, restaurant, music sectors, to position Lagos as a city that is economical viable all year-round. He stressed that the state government was ready to support such stakeholders in showcasing their offerings and positioning the state as investment hub.

He disclosed that another of the state government’s initiative aimed at repositioning the state as an epicentre of rich cultural heritage was the planned Cultural Weekend, scheduled for November 14 to16, this year.

Aregbe, who spoke at an interactive session with arts and culture writers in Lagos recently, said the overall concern for the state government was to provide enabling environment as well as supports for groups or individuals that add value to the ecosystem.

He noted that “the state cannot continue to do everything. ‘We are not competing with individuals, businesses, brands. The most important thing is to see how we can continue to complement the efforts of brands and other stakeholders,” he quipped.

According to him, “we are putting all these events together in a box to unveil. As the ember months approach, a lot of people are beginning to talk of Detty December, but it is beyond that, regarding activities going on in the city around that time. But, our aim is to emphasise that Lagos is beyond this. It is a city that never sleeps. From January to December we have a couple of activities going on. That is the Lagos we are projecting.”

He added, “we are not just looking at tourism, arts, and culture from the angle of events. All these events must have local impact. We must be able to grow the local economy. So, for us, it’s not just an event, it’s something that we have designed to let people know that truly Lagos has a fantastic culture and that we will exhibit those cultures during that event.”

Acknowledging the challenge of lack of reliable tourism data, which hinders effective planning and investment, he assured that Lagos State is working on building reliable database and master plans to address the gap, stressing that sustainable progress requires credible data-driven decisions.

He hinted that efforts are being made to revitalise waterfront tourism and leverage Lagos’ unique natural resources such as water. According to him, international events and summits focusing on water-based tourism and sports are underway to capitalise on these assets, signaling government passion and commitment to diverse tourism segments.

As part of efforts aimed at ensuring a safe, secure, and enjoyable tourism experience, the state has launched the Lagos Tourism Support Services Platform to boost safety, emergency preparedness, and cleanliness during the ember months. The initiative is aimed at ensuring a safe, secure, and enjoyable tourism experience throughout the festive season.

According to Aregbe, the participating agencies include Lagos State Safety Commission (LSSC); Lagos State Emergency Management Agency; Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Agency (LSNSA), and Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA). Others included, Lagos State Ambulance Service and the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service.

He emphasised that the ember months were typically a busy period, thus requiring strong inter-agency collaboration to ensure public safety, effective crowd control, and rapid emergency response.

“Ember months come with heightened activities in the hospitality and entertainment space.

“All hands must be on deck to ensure that Lagos remains safe, secure and clean for both residents and tourists.

“Our emergency responders must be on standby to mitigate risks while also creating opportunities for citizens to benefit from the activities within the hospitality sector,” he said.

While soliciting the support of the media, he enjoined them to continue to tell Lagos stories in the way that “we really want it, so that people would be able to understand our identity.”