Lagos Tourism No Longer ‘Entertainment’, Now Business Strategy – Aregbe

Mary Nnah

The Lagos State Government has said that expanding tourism, arts and culture drive is no longer just about entertainment, but a serious economic strategy already attracting investments, boosting small businesses and opening new opportunities for thousands of young entrepreneurs across the state.

It stated that tourism is strategically positioned as a key lever for business growth, job creation and driver for private sector investment.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Tourism, Arts and Culture, Idris Aregbe, made the case while addressing pressmen in Lagos on the efforts by the Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration to make the state a priority destination for tourists globally.

Aregbe said the state’s approach is built on the conviction that Lagos is “not merely a city, but a civilisation,” adding that every programme rolled out under his office over the last 12 months was designed to turn culture into economic value.

According to him, the strategy is already yielding results through major public-private partnerships, structured tourism events and creative economy interventions that are drawing vendors, investors, visitors and international attention to Lagos.

Among the most visible of these initiatives is the Lagos Tourism NBC Trade Fair, co-produced with Naija Brand Chick, which has grown into one of the country’s biggest SME and commerce gatherings. The fair, Aregbe said, brought together hundreds of vendors and tens of thousands of visitors, with sales projections running into billions of naira.

He said the trade fair has shown how tourism can directly translate into revenue for small businesses, noting that the event combines shopping, entertainment, business masterclasses, financial inclusion sessions and cultural performances in a single commercial platform.
“This is a movement where entertainment powers commerce and Lagos creativity fuels economic growth,” he said, describing the initiative as a model for building a thriving SME ecosystem.

The Special Adviser also pointed to the state’s collaboration with private investors in the leisure sector, including the Giwa Gardens partnership, which offered 100,000 free tickets during the festive season and widened access to recreational tourism while stimulating activity around the Lekki-Epe corridor.
According to him, such partnerships are helping Lagos attract more capital into hospitality, entertainment and tourism infrastructure, especially from diaspora investors seeking a reliable environment for business.

Aregbe said Lagos has also begun to formalise its festive tourism calendar through the 101 Days in Lagos initiative, which packages the ember months into a structured tourism product. The calendar brings together hundreds of events across culture, food, nightlife and entertainment, making it easier for visitors, residents and investors to plan and spend.

He said the goal is to move Lagos beyond a seasonal party destination and make tourism a year-round economic engine.

Other initiatives highlighted at the briefing included Skill Up Lagos, through which more than 1,000 creatives have been trained over the last two years; Cook Lagos. Eat Lagos., a gastronomy tourism programme aimed at promoting local cuisine and supporting food entrepreneurs; and Tourism Support Services, a year-round framework involving key government agencies to keep the state clean, safe and visitor-ready.

Aregbe said the administration is also using culture diplomacy to promote Lagos globally through international festivals, art tours, foreign delegations and heritage showcases.

He added that events such as Kayo-Kayo Festival in Epe, Isese Day palace visits, Beauty in Motherland, See Lagos, See Culture, Culturati and the commissioning of the Eyo Statue at John Randle Centre were all part of a larger plan to preserve heritage while creating commercial value from the creative sector.

The Special Adviser said the ministry’s work had already deepened Lagos’s reputation as Africa’s cultural capital and a destination for investment, tourism and creative enterprise.

“Our work is not ceremonial,” he said. “It is strategic, inclusive and economic. We are building a Lagos where culture does not only inspire pride, but also drives prosperity.”

Industry observers say the state’s growing emphasis on tourism reflects a broader shift in governance, with culture increasingly seen as a serious contributor to economic development rather than a soft-sector afterthought.
With private capital, government support and a growing creative population, Lagos appears determined to turn its cultural energy into a lasting business advantage.