Lagos govt urges stakeholders to promote tourism centres

• Predicts high intensity rainfall in 2022
• Warns residents against dumping refuse in drains
• Seeks partnership with American firms on project

Lagos State Government has urged tourism operators and other stakeholders in the industry to ensure proper promotion and marketing of the various tourist centres across the state.

The state’s Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Uzamat Akinbile-Yussuf, made the appeal yesterday, during the “BestofLagosFamTour22,” organised by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture to familiarise Nigerians with the tourism centres in the state to attract local and international tourists.

The commissioner, who spoke at J. Randle Centre for Yoruba Culture and History at Onikan, said that the Centre, which is slated for completion later in the year, should be given adequate publicity by the media and relevant stakeholders in the tourism sector to ensure patronage for it as soon as it is completed.

IN another development, the state government, yesterday, predicted a high-density amount of rainfall in the state.

The state’s Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tunji Bello, who disclosed this during a briefing on the 2022 seasonal climate predictions and socio-economic implications for the state, noted that Lagos Island is expected to have a rainfall from April 6, with cessation date as November 30 and a total rainfall amount of 1627mm.

Besides, he stressed that Ikeja is expected to have a rainfall onset date of March 17, while cessation date is December 3, with a total amount of 1392mm as specifically highlighted by NiMet.

He stressed that the peculiarity of Lagos as a coastal state and its strategic position as the economic hub of the nation necessitated the need to disseminate crucial information on the 2022 climate prediction to prepare people ahead of the likely consequences of the rains and other relevant weather parameters.

Bello warned residents against indiscriminate dumping of plastic wastes into the drains to avoid flooding.

BESIDES, the state government has urged improved partnership with American companies for the construction of its planned new technology hub in Lagos.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu stated this yesterday, at the groundbreaking ceremony for the new 10-floor U.S. Consulate-General compound at the Eko Atlantic City, Lagos.

said that the state government was finalising the designs on what it considered the greatest tech-hub in Africa, adding that American firms like Google and Microsoft are working with the state towards building the tech hub in Yaba, Lagos, to replicate a Silicon Valley in Nigeria when completed.

The project, which will be biggest U.S. consulate office project in the world, is located on a 12.2-acre site within Eko Atlantic City, will cost $537 million, is expected to support diplomatic and commercial relations between the U.S. and Nigeria, and provide American and Nigerian consulate employees with a safe, secure, sustainable and modern workplace.

Sanwo-Olu further said that the state government was also working with American partners to develop a medical park, light rails project, ensuring that more real estate investments come into Lagos and charged other investors to take advantage of the city.

He described the new consulate campus project as an indication of how important the Nigeria/U.S. relationship is and how serious the U.S. views Nigeria and Lagos in particular, adding that it will bring a new chapter in the bilateral journey between the two countries.

He said: “To talk about Eko Atlantic City is a story of how we reversed what looks like a liability into an asset. This new consulate compound represents more than half a billion dollar investment and I am told that over $100 million will be for local investment. The United States has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in Nigeria and in Lagos State in particular. The relationship between Nigeria and the U.S. covers areas like military, technology, commerce, energy, education, youth empowerment and others.

“We are truly excited with the direct relationship the project will provide for youths, young engineers, creative designers and all the local components that will be working with their American counterparts and skills that would be transferred. At the end of the day, we will have a building that is energy efficient and the sustainability of the building will be second to none.”

At the event, the U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, Mary Beth Leonard, said the new consulate project would directly benefit the Nigerian economy, create jobs for local sub-contractors, suppliers, engineers, architects, artisans, construction workers and administrative staff.

She said the project was a demonstration of the commitment of the U.S. and Nigeria to provide 2,500 jobs over the period of five years for the project, including technology transfer, skills and training.