Lagos State Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture Mrs. Toke Benson-Awoyinka has said the state has put structures in place to tell the story of Lagos.

““We are working on some materials we would use to brand Lagos. We do not want anybody telling us our story. When they tell our story, they tell it from their perspective and the way they see it, as they do not give an accurate account of the story and the picture of who we are, what we are, and what we stand for, as people of culture, and diverse values.

“”In Lagos, you find one of those over five hundred tongues speaking people, and this comes into play because Lagos is the epic centre for all Nigeria,” she said.

Throwing more light on the development of tourism in Lagos, Benson-Awoyinka, who was a special guest on Creative Nigeria, a weekly cultural tourism magazine program on radio with a special segment on World Tourism Day, with focal attention on Lagos tourism sector, on Mainland 98.3 FM, Lagos anchored by veteran award-winning cultural tourism journalists, Frank Meke and Bunmi Bade Adeniji, stated that tourism life in Nigeria begins from lagos. She described Lagos as the soul.of tourism in Nigeria.

Benson -Awoyinka said the vibrant culture and energy Lagos is incomparable as the state remains the soul of tourism in Nigeria

On tourism and hospitality in Lagos, the commissioner said every resident of Lagos has a daily party energy, as Lagosians are full of vibrancy, energy, and life, adding that there many exciting things about lagos, the nightlife, the beaches, the restaurants, the cultural heritage and

the are many exciting things about Lagos, the nightlife, the beaches, the restaurants, the cultural heritage, and the hotels, which are all tourism beams that attract the world to Lagos

According to the commissioner who was so upbeat about tourism in Lagos, the city’s aquatic splendour is beyond nightlife and partying, but full a manifest presence of heritage and culture economy .

“Just a few weeks ago, we joined the Managing Director of Sterling Bank Mr. Abubakar Suleiman to visit some heritage sites around the Broad Street Marina area of Lagos.

“Imagine if we were to bring in someone from outside Lagos, and embark on a tour to Lagos, we would start from Onike Lagos and stop at the John Randle Center for Yoruba Culture and History, and the National Museum opposite it, from there, we move to the Onike House, after which, we move to the Race Course /TBS Square, which represents the historical moment of our Independence.

“From the Race Course, we move to Broad Street, where you have the Freedom Park, the Catholic Mission Church, and some ancient churches along the broad street, the Legislative building, which housed the queen and the British government. In Lagos, we have amazing tourism infrastructures to see and learn from”

“When people ask what is the soul of tourism in Lagos,? it is the diverse culture, food, nightlife, restaurants, and beaches covering over 182 kilometres of the beautiful ocean front . We are working on identifying our heritage sites and landmarks and getting them to be documented and captured by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).”

Throwing more light on her ministry’s intention to process the full throttle of the sector, mrs. Awoyinka explained that her officers are working hard to properly package the various tourism opportunities in lagos. “we are working on packaging the sites, more on a virtual connectivity of the Lagos heritage, culture, and tourism on your phone.”

On women in tourism and engendering peace in the industry, the commissioner disclosed that that’s a no great nation without women

” We say no woman, no nation. We are the neck that holds the head, and we are important and should be seen as partners and not as competitors

On the not too recent stakeholders meeting of the hospitality sector, the commissioner explained that there is a misrepresentation of taxes, leaves, and fees as double taxation in the hospitality sector, adding that the whole situation is being addressed and would be addressed.

” my ministry , other MDAs and the office of the special adviser on taxation are trying to harmonize fees and taxes because most of the time, we pay taxes to FIRS but we pay levies and fees to Ministries, Department, and Agencies (MDAs)”

“For instance, if you want to pay for parking. It is a fee and not a levy and / or a tax. You want to pay for waste collection. It is also a levy, not a tax. But in Nigeria, we believe everything is a tax

The further stated that most times when hotels, nightclubs, or restaurants are sealed, I get different calls from these business owners. But I am against sealing up businesses. What we are advocating for is huge fines, when a business goes contrary to the regulations, instead of outright sealing of business premises.

Speaking further on Lagos heritage, particularly on the proposed Yoruba cultural festival, Mrs. Toke Benson Awoyinka said the Yoruba Heritage Festival Law that was recently passed into Law by the Lagos State House of Assembly seeks to celebrate the rich Yoruba culture every November. “The Festival will be a convergence of all Yoruba people across the five southwestern states, namely Ogun, Osun, Ondo, Ekiti, Oyo, and Lagos”

“The Festival will showcase the rich ancient culture of the Yoruba nation, ranging from culture, dance, cuisine, and the various Yoruba tongues. The one-week event will be attended by the Obas, top traditional rulers and chiefs.