… Reassures Residents of Safety on Waterways
To showcase the beauty of Lagos and also assure Lagosians as well as tourists of the safety of its waterways, the Lagos State Government on October 1, staged an entertainment event tagged “Greater Nigeria Independence Cruise”, as part of activities marking the country’s 61st Independence anniversary celebration.
The boat cruise, which was a partnership initiative of the Ministry of Tourism Arts and Culture, LAGFERRY and Goge Africa, took off from Falomo to different parts of the State for several hours onboard MV Adamu-Orisa, a Lagferry barge with capacity to move 300 persons.
The Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mrs. Uzamat Akinbile-Yussuf, who was also part of the cruise, canvassed increased usage and patronage of water transportation to reduce the cost and duration of commuting across the metropolis.
She acknowledged the efforts of Lagferry to boost patronage of transportation on Lagos waterways, noting that “In less than two years, the water index patronage stood at 3.2 per cent”.
Akinbile-Yussuf, said: “Lagos State is a state of aquatic splendour and we are on a cruise ride to commemorate Independence Day and also to showcase tourism potentials”.
“Water transportation is promoting tourism in Lagos, and I am encouraging Lagos residents to patronise water transport, which is easier in moving from one location to another without encountering traffic”, she stated.
On his part, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mr. Solomon Bonu, said that the initiative shows that tourism relies on partnership to work, citing the instance of the platform provided by LAGFERRY to transport participants during the cruise as well as the professionalism brought to bear by Goge Africa to promote domestic tourism.
The Special Adviser called for more private sector support to advance the tourism sector and also increase Lagos State’s competitive positioning relative to other tourism destinations, and position Lagos as one of the top-five tourist destinations in Africa.
Encouraging Lagosians to create time for relaxation, Bonu said that just as other nations of the world have devised means to live with the prevailing COVID-19, tourists in Nigeria must also keep the sector alive and ensure strict adherence to all safety protocols.
The Managing Director, Lagos Ferry Services, Mr. Abdul-Baqi Balogun, said the State government used the event to showcase the water transport potential in social, business and entertainment areas.
He added that apart from using the barges to carry cargo goods, they can also be used in transporting cars and hosting weddings, birthdays, conferences and anniversaries.
The host of Goge Africa, a popular tourism television show, Isaac Moses, during the tour affirmed that Lagos has beautiful waterways worth exploring by tourists within and outside the country.
He advocated the use of waterways to decongest the pressure on Lagos roads, stressing that the busy roads across the metropolis should not deter tourists from exploring the rich tourism potentials of the State or debar fun-seekers from connecting Lagos.
The co-host of Goge Africa, Nneka Moses, in her submission, said that the Goge Africa brand prospered in Lagos because the government is always willing to create an enabling environment for businesses to thrive.
Her words: “Success in Lagos is possible and easier compared to other cities because there is an enabling environment here in this city. Coincidentally, today makes it exactly 22 years since Goge Africa made a first appearance on television and I can say that the enabling environment by the government has helped us so far”.
