IN fulfillment of his administration’s pledge to make Lagos the preferred tourism destination in Africa, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode has lent his weight behind the hosting of this year’s Lagos Street Carnival, which will hold at Oba Akran Road, Ikeja Lagos on December 3 as private sponsors-driven event.
Acting Commissioner for Tourism Arts and Culture Hon Adebimpe Akinsola said the carnival will herald the yuletide season in the state and will feature leading music stars such as Olamide, Salawa Abeni, Malaika, Kesh and Tope Sax among others.
She said that Lagos state is providing support for the Lagos Street Carnival designed after the popular Notting Hill Carnival London, which marked its 50th edition last year, as a way of sustaining the event.
She stated that the carnival, which had its debut as Lagos Street Party last year at Ahmadu Bello Way, Victoria Island, Lagos will showcase the diverse culture from different local councils and ethnic groups in Lagos featuring star-studded collection of musicians and cultural troupes.
According to Hon. Akinsola who also doubles as Special Adviser to Governor Akinwunmi Ambode on Arts and Culture the aim of government is to take the carnival round Lagos because in Governor Ambode’s acceptance speech he assured that he will run a government of inclusion not in infrastructure alone but in every sense of governance. She noted that Governor Ambosde’s administration is using project (THEAS) Tourism, Hospitality, Entertainment, Arts and Sports as thrust to change the narrative of Lagos as a tourism destination.
“We are repackaging the old carnival to include more platforms like possession, stage performances by musicians and cultural shows. Notthing Hill Carnival started like this some years ago in London. Last year it celebrated 50 years and it has grown bigger and this is what we are looking at. Lagos is the city in terms of tourism and excellence. And we want to make Lagos the preferred destination in Africa. For instance, Lagos Fiesta has generated lots of interest among Nigerians in Diaspora. The same thing we are getting from Lagos Street Party which we have redesigned as carnival… We are looking ahead to the future on how the carnival can be sustained. Government is not funding it so that change of administration will not affect its continuity,” she added. The carnival will move to another location next year.
Continuing, she said: “We have consultant handling the carnival. Lagos state government is only providing support services to the organisers. Visitors from outside Lagos to the carnival will spend money on transport, accommodation in hotels thereby enabling hotels to pay consumption tax to state government as revenue.”
On the choice of musicians for the carnival she said: “We feel the pulse of Nigerians to know their taste in music. We are therefore pulling from different genres like fuji, juju, hip hop, afro, gospel, waka and R & B to meet their taste. There will be Olamide, Salawa Abeni, Kesh, Malaika, Tope sax among others. It will feature floats, possession, stage performances and cultural shows.”
Hon Akinsola said that the carnival content will have different platforms for children and adults featuring cultural troupes and artistes of different genres of music including juju, pop, Rhythm and Blues, fuji, afrobeat and waka among others. It will start by 12 noon till midnight.
She said apart from creating enabling environment of fun and entertainment, small scale business operators will have opportunities to sell their products, noting that as you enjoy there is also the opportunity for economic activities to go on.
“Security of life and property is assured as security officials are on top of the situation. The roads leading to the venue will be closed.
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