Ambode to revamp its heritage sites, museums- Commissioner says

 The Lagos State Government (LASG) has concluded plans to revamp the Badagry Heritage Museum and other heritage sites in the state to their rightful pride of place as both national and international historic and tourists’ centres.

Mr Folorunso Folarin-Coker, the state Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, said this on Thursday while giving his ministry’s stewardship for the last one year.

Folarin-Coker said that his ministry had conducted findings to ascertain the present state of the museum and other heritage sites in Badagry as well as in other parts of the state with a view to giving them a befitting facelift.

He said it was discovered that the Badagry Museum required, “a total and complete restoration and rehabilitation in many areas.

“It will require a complete overhauling and remodelling of all the galleries; provision of adequate and functional facilities; provision of infrastructure to cope with the expectation of visitors and tourists.

“It will also require the provision of capacity building, training and manpower development of the staff that can manage a modern museum among other things.”

Folarin-Coker also said that other heritage sites in the state including the Sungbo Eredo Rampart, the Ejirin Slave Market and the National Museum at Onikan would be upgraded to international standards.

The commissioner also said that his ministry in the past year was involved in the promotion of Lagos as “The Destination” in Africa by branding it as the major tourism destination in Africa.

It also changed the “Lagos Countdown” to the “One Lagos Fiesta”, and for the first time-ever, it was performed simultaneously in three different centres in Lagos instead of one.

The commissioner added that the ministry had developed the “One Lagos” website and mobile application.

He advised the public to visit the site to get more information about tourism potentials and cultural values the state is endowed with.

Folarin-Coker said that 513 new hospitality establishments were identified across the state in the year under review thus bringing the total number of hospitality establishments in the state 3,905.

He also said that 90 new hotels were identified in the state and this had brought hotels in the state to 490 from the initial 400.

He promised that the state would review its tourism laws with a view to removing the various complications in billing and charges complained by hospitality operators in the state. (NAN)