By Modupe Gbadeyanka

As part of efforts to boost the creative and entertainment industry, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has been 100 hectares in Ejirin community in Epe for the establishment of the proposed Lagos Film City.

The Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mrs Uzamat Akinbile-Yussuf, confirmed this development at the inter-ministerial press briefing held at Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre, Alausa, to mark the second-year anniversary of the Mr Sanwo-Olu administration.

She explained that the project is being developed through Public-Private Partnership (PPP) and will serve as a catalyst to accelerate the development of tourism in Lagos.

She further said the film city will offer a one-stop business platform for filmmakers, entertainers and originators of creative ideas to carry out their trades without interference by agencies of government and the public.

“We have acquired 100 hectares of land in Ejirin area of the State for development of the proposed film city. There are ongoing preliminary discussions with the private sector under PPP arrangement and we believe that the initiative would be a boost to the movie and entertainment industry’s revenue.

“The idea behind the film city is to provide a place where film production and creative ideas can be carried out without public interferences.

“When it is finally established, Lagos Film City would be a huge impetus for the development of the entertainment industry, because it will reduce the cost of film production, generate employment and bring about a huge relief to the practitioners. We urge stakeholders and private investors to come on board and support this idea,” she said.

Mrs Akinbile-Yussuf, speaking further, stated that the state government had set aside a N1 billion intervention fund to support ideas, innovations and entertainment programmes in the creative industry, through Lagos State Creative Industry Initiative (LACI).

The Commissioner also said new tourist sites were recently discovered in Badagry, Epe and Alimosho areas, hinting that the state government would take over the management of new heritage sites in Ikorodu. She assured that the new sites would be developed and harnessed to become international tourism centres.

The Commissioner explained that the State had developed a Tourism Master Plan, which would serve as a policy document for the implementation of tourist activities in Lagos.

“The document would change the narrative in the state’s tourism sector and ensure uniformity of government’s programmes, plans and policies in the development of tourism,” Mrs Akinbile-Yussuf said.

She explained that attention would be given to the development of Lagos waterfront for tourism purposes, adding that the master plan would also explore the potential of medical tourism, focusing Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibition (MICE).

“With the Tourism Master Plan in place, the era of haphazard development of tourism activities in the state is over. There is a structured guideline for short, medium and long-term tourism activities and projects.

“Some areas in tourism, which were not given attention, have now been captured in the master plan. This will engender all-round development of every aspect of tourism in the coming years,” the Commissioner said.

“We will leverage on this to boost the State’s revenue. We believe in creating an enduring atmosphere for tourism activities to thrive, being a major private-sector driven sector.

“It is our belief that when businesses operate under the right atmosphere, the economic activities of the state would increase and the resources at the disposal of Government would also be impacted greatly,” she added.

Speaking on the activities of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture in the last two years, Mrs Akinbile-Yussuf said the present administration had repositioned the State’s heritage with the delivery of cultural projects, including the modernisation of Glover Memorial Hall, known for hosting stage drama, cultural concerts and other traditional events.

She said renovation work on major cultural sites across the State were inching towards completion, noting the State Government would be delivering J. K Randle Centre for Yoruba Culture and History in the coming weeks to change the aesthetics of the cultural hub of Lagos Island.