LAGOS is a city containing two worlds. Lagos --the megacity-- is different from Lagos --the State. Thinking about landmarks across the state, it becomes a task to find a tourist attraction site in certain parts of Lagos.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has already said that the State has what it takes to improve its Internally Generated Revenue through tourism, In fact, it has always been in his manifesto. This ambition was reiterated this week and it begs the question: How can a State be serious about expecting a significant share of Internally Generated Revenue to come from tourism when its largest Local Government Area has no known tourist centre?
Alimosho Local Government area is the largest LGA in Lagos. Yet, Alimosho lacks the special attention that the state government should pay to it all this while. It is an obvious result of our diagnosis of an ailing tourism sector in the State.
Lagos State cannot be a major tourism destination in Africa if its own residents cannot even see the State as a tourist attraction. Badagry used to be such a hot spot for tourists' visits and sightseeing, but recent news shows how poorly managed the existing tourist centres are being managed.
Lagos State Government has reported the discovery of new tourism sites in Alimosho, Badagry, Ikorodu and Epe areas of the state. We will be looking forward to how, in the words of the Mrs Uzamat Akinbile-Yusuf, "the new tourism sites would be developed and harnessed to international standards to attract international tourists to further boost tourism in Lagos State."
Lagos State Government must get it right this time, Alimosho is long overdue for a heritage site. It would be really disappointing if the recent pronouncements of making Lagos a top tourist destination in Africa turn out to be mere words after 2023. Tourism can do a lot, even for a large State such as Lagos and we cannot allow the endless stream of culture and history of indigenous 'Eko' be washed into the lagoon of obscurity.
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