Sanwo-Olu: Lagos Commits to Tourism Devt, Tours Badagry, Visits Heritage Sites
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has reiterated his administration's commitment to tourism development, even as he stated his resolve to make the Badagry axis of the state a tourist attraction city.
Sanwo-Olu, who spoke yesterday during a working visit to Badagry’s historical sites and projects, said the ancient city of Badagry, with many historical and tourist sites, has a lot to offer in tourism.
Accompanied by Chairman/ CEO of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Hon. Abike DabiriErewa,
members of the Lagos State Executive Council and Lagos State House of Assembly, as well as officials of the Lagos State Diaspora Commission, he visited the Slave Market Museum International Vlekete Badagry, which was recently restored and upgraded by the administration.
He also visited the Badagry Heritage Museum, the seat of the fallen Agia Tree, where Christianity was first preached in 1842, the first-storey building in Nigeria, the first Christian burial site, the Hospital Road construction project, and the Old Governor's Lodge, a purpose-built 70-room and hotel complex.
The visit was considered a testament to Sanwo-Olu’s commitment to gaining firsthand knowledge of the needs and challenges of the people of Badagry, paving the way for continued progress and development.
Sanwo-Olu also took a boat ride to the Point of No Return, where slaves were taken to different parts of the world during the slave trade era.
Speaking to journalists during the working tour, Sanwo-Olu said his administration would complete ongoing projects in Badagry and restore some of the heritage sites to tell a compelling story about what Badagry holds for the tourism potential of Nigeria.
"The visit is really part of our tourism ecosystem, and I have had to come and see things for myself to evaluate what we have done, additional things that we need to do, and how we intentionally make Badagry, an all of the tourism potential that it has, a real destination.
"For us, it is to complete the ongoing projects that we have seen, to restock some of the heritage sites that we have seen, to generally preserve what we have, and to speak a compelling story about what Badagry holds for the tourism potential of our country.
"You have also seen that Badagry actually has a major face. There are lots of roads that you have seen, including dual carriage roads that are nearing completion, and you have all seen that we came around the last time to open a hospital. You have seen roads that have been done extensively.
"Indeed, I am very impressed with Badagry because it is actually wearing a more cleaner road. We all came by road from Lagos Island, and you could see that it took us just about an hour and a half from Lagos and down to Badagry.
“So, these are journeys that have hitherto taken almost four hours. We have experienced it ourselves, and I can see that the citizens are very excited."