The Lagos State House Committee on Culture and Tourism is to partner with the Founder and President of La Campagne Tropicana Beach, Otunba Wanle Akinboboye, towards the realization of its culture and tourism agenda for the state even the state governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, has been dubbed the most friendly tourism governor in the country and commended for his tourism initiatives, which was described as most embracing and easily deliverable if vigorously pursued with sincerity of purpose.
Akinboboye made this assertion while playing host to the members of the Lagos State House of Assembly Committee on Culture, Arts and Tourism, who visited the Ikegun Village, Lekki – based resort to hold discussion with him in pursuant of the tourism agenda of the house and explore the rich and expansive African themed resort.
He commended the committee, which was led by its Chairman and Nollywood actor, Desmond Olusola Elliot, for deeming it fit to visit the resort and rob minds with him. While pledging his support and assistance to the committee, he urged them to work closely with governor Ambode, who he said has shown that is the most tourism friendly governor in the country judging by the recently unfolded tourism project of the governor.
The project, which has been dubbed Tourism, Hospitality, Entertainment, Sports & Education (T.H.E.S.E), he said is a very laudable one, which can easily transform the tourism landscape of the state even as he commended the recently held First Lagos International Marathon, which he predicted would be bigger than the New York and London Marathons in the immediate future.
He advised the committee members to utilise this rare opportunity to facilitate enabling laws that will make the southern part of Lekki a tourism zone and attract massive infrastructure to the zone so as not only to transform the zone but thet entire state and make it a humongous tourism destination that it should truly be.
Akinboboye who is also the Tourism Ambassador of the World Conference of Mayors and Founder of Motherland Beckons, an initiative that is directed at promoting African culture and bringing back The Diaspora and Blacks all over the world to Africa, their ancestral root, also allayed the fears of the Elliot – led committee on the challenges of funding the ambitious project and exposed to them to how entertainment centres and tourism products can generate the requisite funds, with support from international bodies like Africa Development Bank (ADB) and International Financial Corporation (IFC) among others.
He also harped on a synergy between La Campagne and Lagos State government through the efforts of the committee that would make the state more prosperous by tapping into its abundant water – based resources. This he said is inexhaustible but could be jumpstarted by a Lagos State sponsored Kayak competition among the riverine communities of the state and the elite who are already into the sport with a prize money of one million naira (N1m).
In his response, the Chairman of the committee, Elliot, expressed appreciation to Akinboboye for graciously playing host to the committee and taking time to interact and share ideas with them. He assured him of the partnership of the committee and that his exposition has made the work of the committee easier even as he promised on delivery on its agenda.
The committee in the course of their overnight stay at the resort where treated to the best of the resort’s legendary hospitality culture and tradition as well as musical entertainment headlined by outstanding performances by the stars of Atunda Entertainment led by Olo Omidan Bata and Anu, Lady Ekwe as well as Adigun Olohun Iyo.
Also thrown to the mix were an Africa centric fashion show on the beach front, classical boat regatta with a 15 man music ensemble, and a test run of Kayaking by enthusiastic resort guests. Lekki indigenes and celebrities like Nollywood diva, Rita Dominic and her friends were part of the joyous crowd who witnessed the enthralling moment.
