By Taiye Olayemi
The Lagos State Government, on Tuesday, said it had begun the documentation of heritage sites and festivals peculiar to the five divisions of the state.
Mrs Toke Benson-Awoyinka, Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture disclosed this during a tour of tourism sites in Ikorodu Community.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the tour was made to the Ayangburen Palace, the nine-day market, Igboshi Shrine and the ancient palace of Ikorodu.
Benson-Awoyinka said the move was to ensure the preservation of historical destinations, as well as create an organised industry.
“We are doing a compilation of our heritage sites and we have started with Ikorodu. We have spoken with the Obas in Council and Chiefs in the six major towns in Ikorodu.
“We would work with the state Council of Arts and Culture to have a compendium of all the heritage sites and all the festivals happening in Ikorodu.
“We aim to calendarise our tourism events.
“We need to have these activities registered with international organisations like the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and let the whole world know what we have.
“We are going to carry out the same activity in the other divisions of the state,” she said.
She further said plans were ongoing to host Yoruba Heritage Week in Lagos by November.
According to her, this will showcase the rich cultural heritage of the Yoruba race and bridge the cultural knowledge gap among the younger generation.
Benson-Awoyinka said the event was critical to pave the way for continued progress and development in the state.
“The Lagos State House of Assembly passed a law for the Yoruba Heritage Week. We are going to assign and dedicate one week to celebrating Yoruba culture and heritage in November.
“We want to put to the fore what Yoruba as a people or nation stands for: what we eat, our fashion, music and all. We want to celebrate it so that the world will know that we come from Lagos.
“People need to realise that some people are from here. We host every other tribe and we want them to respect who we are. They should respect our language and every aspect of our culture,” she said.
Commenting on the visit, Benson-Awoyinka commended the positive response from the Chiefs, expressing optimism for the same reception in other divisions.
Earlier, the Ayangburen of Ikorodu, Oba Kabiru Shotobi, represented by Chief Adewunmi Ogunsanya, the Odofin of Ikorodu, commended the state government for the initiative and putting Ikorodu at the forefront of its projects.
NAN reports that among the tour entourage were representatives from the French Government and Obas from Imota, Igbogbo, Egbin, Ipakodo and Agura Kingdom.
Also present were members of the Council of Chiefs, representatives from each community and local government and directors from the Ministry of Tourism. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
