Francesca Odimgbe
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has reiterated his administration’s commitment to make the Badagry axis of the State a tourist attraction city.
He said the ancient city of Badagry, with many historical and tourist sites, has a lot to offer in tourism.
Sanwo-Olu spoke on Thursday during a working tour and visit to Badagry Tourism sites and projects. The visit is a testament to Governor 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.
The Governor, who was accompanied by Chairman/CEO of the Nigerians in Dispora Commission (NiDCOM), Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, members of the Lagos State Executive Council and Lagos State House of Assembly, as well as officials of the Lagos State Dispora Commission, 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.
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, Governor Sanwo-Olu said his administration will complete ongoing projects in Badagry and restock some of the heritage sites to tell a compelling story about what Badagry holds for the tourism potential of Nigeria.
He said: “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.”
Speaking further, the Governor said his administration will ensure that no part of Lagos is left underdeveloped.
He said: “We will make sure that no part of Lagos is left underdeveloped, and with tourism being a major cardinal of our THEMES Agenda, I needed to come and see things for myself too and also see how we can help.
“You saw that there are a few projects we need to complete around the Marina in Badagry, but I am satisfied, knowingly, that we still have a lot of opportunities to do for Nigeria.
“You can see that on the tour, the Chairman of the Diaspora Commission is here with us. We have a diaspora agency already in our State as well. It is really to make Lagos and Badagry, in particular, a tourist destination for all of our international and local audiences to know that we are ready to boost tourism.