* Promises best hospitality as state set to host cultural, tourism fairs
Segun James
Barely 24 hours after he unveiled the smart registration for Lagos resident, the State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu yesterday revealed that less than 250,000 residents were registered for the state free healthcare delivery progrmme.
The Governor who was represented by his Deputy, Dr. Kadri Hamzat, disclosed this during the commencement of the fourth edition of BOSKOH Free Medical Outreach tagged: “Jigi-Bola Relaunch Phase II,” held at Ikeja.
The programme targets to reach over 250,000 Lagosians in eight Local Government Areas.
There are not less than 961 volunteers who would be providing medical services across the outreach.
BOSKOH is an acronym for Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu and Kadri Obafemi Hamzat Health Mission International, an initiative that commenced in 2019.
The Jigi-Bola Initiative started under the administration of Mr. Bola Ahmed Tinubu as Governor of Lagos State. Its relaunch came this year to save lives from preventable blindness and restored beneficiaries back to their livelihood.
Speaking at the event, the deputy governor said, “Through the BOSKHO Health Mission International, this administration has continued to lead the frontiers in delivering good healthcare as we took the bull by the horn, adding diagnosis for hearing-impairments and the provision of hearing-aids.
“Considering the status of Lagos as a megacity and our ever increasing population, the BOSKOH Health Mission Initiative targeted and identified 250,000 residents in need of visual and hearing aids at the third edition of the Jigi-Bola Re-launch and BOSKOH Health Mission Initiative held last year.”
Hamzat explained that the World Health Organisation (WHO) asserted that, “over two billion people have a near or distant visual impairment and at least over one billion or almost half of these cases could have been preventable.
“In Nigeria, according to International Centre for Eye Health, it is estimated that over 2.7 million adults aged between 40 years and above have moderate visual impairment, and additional 400,000 adults are severely, visually impaired.”
He therefore stated that, “This Free Sight and hearing Aid Programme taking place again today is aimed at improving and strengthening the state’s capacity for efficient eye and ear care delivery at the grassroots, and to ensure that Lagosians do not lose their vision and hearing organs when these could have been prevented.”
Similarly, the wife of the Governor, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu said, “The programme, since it was launched in 2001, contributed a great deal in achieving unparalleled impact in preventing blindness and correcting visual dysfunction, which is estimated to be a major health risk to residents.”
Sanwo-Olu Promises Best Hospitality as Lagos Hosts Cultural Tourism Fairs
Meanwhile, Lagos State in November, would literally become the global epicentre for culture and tourism exhibitions as Nigeria hosts the maiden United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) Global Conference on Tourism, Culture and the Creative Industries.
Sanwo-Olu has promised that the state would be extending its warmest hospitality to visitors that would be attending the event across the world while giving assurance of Lagos’ readiness to collaborate with the federal government to use the event to create lasting positive impression for the country.
The governor made the pledge yesterday, when he received the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, on a courtesy visit at the State House in Marina.
The UNWTO global conference will hold at the National Arts Theatre in Iganmu, Lagos, between November 14 and 16, 2022.
Sanwo-Olu disclosed that November would be a full month of cultural and tourism fiesta in Lagos, as the State put preparations on top gear to host the National Festival of Arts and Culture in collaboration with National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC) in the same month.
The state, Sanwo-Olu said, would also be commissioning the biggest art museum – J.K. Randle Centre for Yoruba Culture and History – in November, making the whole month a period in which the rich heritage of Lagos will be highlighted.
The Governor said the State’s strategic investment in the arts and creative industry was deliberate in order to boost the tourism market in Lagos and drive cultural renaissance, while giving the youths new lease of life to hone their talents in the entertainment sector.
“The month of November has been christened the month for arts and culture in Lagos. We will be witnessing a huge influx of people from the Diaspora to participate in all the cultural and art activities that will be taking place in the period. Lagos will be hosting NAFEST and we are unveiling an art museum, which will be about the biggest in Africa.
“The UNWTO global conference will be the crescendo of the whole events. We will be using the opportunity to showcase some of our best in class of arts and also project parts of the country not seen before,” he added.
Earlier, the Minister said the conference marked the fifth time the UNWTO and its member states demonstrated confidence in Nigeria by giving the country the hosting right of major international events.
Mohammed said the choice of the National Theatre was most appropriate for the conference, because the monument remained the hub of arts and entertainment in the country, and would return the edifice to its role.
