I write to thank
all who made the One Lagos Fiesta happen.
The primary reason
behind the fiesta was to expand on the existent annual crossover celebration,
known as the Countdown. The secondary objective was to launch our strategy of
using entertainment as a tool to drive and harness tourism in Lagos state.
Lagos, as we know,
is home to the globally recognized Nigerian entertainment industries, led by
Nollywood and the numerous genres of music produced here. These are supported
by Comedy, Fashion and Culinary delights that serve up a medley of dishes,
representative of all tribes and cultures of Nigeria, sub-saharan Africa and
have along the way infused recipes from the expatriate community, all loving,
living and working in Lagos.
Our philosophy was
simple; we are “One Lagos”. Unique in character, spirit, vibe and flavor. I am
so pleased that the city came out in that spirit during the last 5 days of
2015. For the first time, in the world Twenty-five simultaneous concerts in 5
locations for 5 days was successfully organized in Lagos state.
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We wanted to
celebrate all Lagosians regardless of their location. The template was simple
and the same across all venues, the performers, artistes, comedians etc. were
rotated across all venues over the 5 days. In Badagry, Ikorodu, Agege,
Epe and Bar Beach we were able to deliver world-class productions, made
possible with the active support of renowned technical producers like Nelson
Jack and Edi Lawani. All the venues were
also encouraged to showcase their indigenous flavours, up and coming
performers, dance and cultural troupes, combined with the daily appearances
of Nigerian superstars, we know that never before have the people of Lagos
been so richly entertained all over the city for free.
This
event would have been impossible without the support of HE Governor Akinwumi
Ambode and my colleagues on the Executive Council. The Lagos State Emergency
Management Agency, The Lagos State
Signage and Advertisement Agency, all Security operatives and
Lagos State Waste Management Authority all worked tirelessly to make sure
that we had a safe, secure and healthy environment. It is remarkable that
there was no reported case of any crime or security breach.
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We
acknowledge and thank our corporate sponsors, who have shown true commitment to
the spirit of One Lagos and have supported our efforts from Day 1, Globacom,
Zenith Bank, Pepsi, Forte Oil and Indomie; our partners, namely SAAB Miller
Industries, Mikano; and all the key talent who performed wonders under such a
tight schedule and immense pressure. I can promise you all that One Lagos will
support you the way you have supported it. We hope that other businesses
located in Lagos, will take a cue from the success of this event as we move
forward in 2016 and seek to expand our collaborations.
I
also want to thank all our media and broadcast partners; TVC, LTV, EbonyLife,
Multichoice, Hiptv, Silverbird and numerous radio stations, such as Eko FM,
CoolFM, BeatFM, WaZoBiaFM & Lagos Traffic Radio; our technical production
leads, Fade & Sesan Ogunro of Film Factory, Cecil Hammond and Obi Asika
& his team, who all worked tirelessly to bring this wonderful event to
life. This is the beginning and together we will take Our Lagos and OLF to
incredible heights.
The
benefits of OLF are numerous to the builders of the FIVE stages, barricades,
sound and lighting, big screens, printers, photographers, independent
broadcasters, over 50 artistes, numerous hotels across Lagos, corporate and
local food and beverage vendors, transporters of various categories, security
companies will continue as the spirit of One Lagos continues through 2016. We
will actively showcase and promote all our Local Governments all year round.
We
currently have plans to host a Marathon, a Lagos Island Fiesta, Epe, Badagry and
Surulere Cultural Days, The Taste of Lagos (Culinary), Eko Fashion Show, The
Festival of the Drums, Eko Jazz Fest, Lagos Beach Fiesta (Elegushi, BarBeach,
Tarkwa Bay, Ilashe, Badagry), Lagos Boat Regatta, Independence Day
Celebrations, Eko Music Show, Lagos Boat Race and the Lagos Beer Festival,just
to mention a few. I
am happy to confirm that we will publish our tourism roadmap 2016-2019 at the
end of this month and will ask all interested parties to partner with us to
deliver the future.
Watch
this space, for we have only just begun.
Thank
you
Folorunsho
Folarin-Coker
Commissioner,
Tourism, Arts & Culture
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