Travel/Tourism
Heritage Bank, FG, Lagos Partner on Diaspora Return in Badagry
By Dipo Olowookere
Heritage Bank Plc has partnered with the Office of the Senior Special Adviser to the President on Diaspora and Foreign Affairs and the Lagos State Government (LASG) to organise the 2017 edition of Diaspora Festival Badagry with the theme Door of Return Ceremony Badagry.
The festival, which held recently in the ancient town of Badagry, was hinged on ‘The Door of Return Ceremony’ and cultural displays.
The Door of Return Ceremony forms the ideological basis of the festival, symbolises the emancipation of the black race as well as an expression of the Diaspora string and affiliation to African culture and heritage.
It was also an advocacy programme that raised awareness about the continuous fight against oppression, neo-colonialism and enslavement and represented a symbolic boat trip by notable black persons in the Diaspora (emigrants, descendants of slaves and leaders of thoughts) where the boat convey them to the ‘Point of No Return’ in Badagry which is the door way through which slaves were charted away as chattels to the plantations in the Americas, with the intention of never to return to their homeland again.
The two-day event featured carnival procession, boat regatta, fishing competition, dark era procession, diaspora dinner, beauty pageant, fashion show, cultural displays, heritage site visits, heritage night, the festival market, international music, concert and talent hunt.
The event was graced by senior officials in the Presidency, traditional rulers, corporate bodies and tourists who travelled from far and near to witness various activities that were featured, a development which made the ancient city of Badagry to come alive.
Speaking on Heritage Bank’s involvement in the programme, Mrs Ozena Utulu, a member of the bank’s Brand Management & Compliance Unit, said Heritage Bank partnered with the organisers of the fiesta because it was an event that promoted the African heritage and culture and resonated with what the brand stood for.
She said, “Heritage Bank speaks and is proud of the African cultural heritage, which is the essence of who and what they are,” adding that the bank is committed to Africans in Diaspora because when they returned, they will need a financial institution to bank with and Heritage Bank will be there to care for them.
Also speaking during the event, Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa, the Senior Special Adviser to the President on Diaspora and Foreign Affairs, who declared that the ‘Door- of- No-Return made popular during the transatlantic slave trade in Africa has now become the Door of Return to Africans in the Diaspora through Badagry, also noted that the development would showcase the African continent to the world in good light and on a positive note.
The marketing consultant to the project, Mr Rufai Ladipo, CEO of Agile Communications Limited said the Diaspora Festival Badagry is an iconic and symbolic festival with a long tradition of celebrating the best in diversity in a rich African culture and heritage.
“Over the past five years, this much loved festival has attracted 500,000 footfalls as well as national and international audiences,” Mr Ladipo observed, adding that the festival has gained considerable traction as one of the West Africa tourist attractions in the month of August which is recognised internationally as a tourism month.
He said the festival was a celebration of the strong seated roots in Africa cultures, its spread and its influence in the Diaspora, remarking that the festival is a platform that amplifies and draws awareness to modern slavery and neo-colonialism and remembers the victims of the transatlantic slave trade.
Besides, he said the festival sought to showcase the growth, beauty, grace and diversity of rich African culture and served as a beacon for Diasporas to relate with their heritage and found their home.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has announced plans to introduce V-Pass, a biometric facial recognition system designed to make passenger processing faster, safer and more seamless across its domestic airports.
According to FAAN, the new technology will allow passengers to verify their identities through facial recognition after a one-time enrolment, reducing reliance on physical identification documents and shortening queues through automated electronic gates.
The authority said the system is expected to enhance airport security while improving the overall travel experience for domestic passengers.
FAAN added that V-Pass has been developed with data privacy at its core and is compliant with the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR).
The agency described the initiative as part of its commitment to delivering smarter, technology-driven airport services and said nationwide sensitisation and rollout updates would be announced in due course.
Airports in countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates already deploy facial recognition technology for processes such as check-in, security screening, immigration and boarding, so the move also aligns Nigeria’s aviation sector with a growing global trend towards contactless travel.
These systems have been adopted to improve operational efficiency, strengthen security and enhance the overall passenger experience.
For FAAN, the deployment of V-Pass forms part of its broader digital transformation agenda aimed at modernising airport operations and accommodating rising passenger traffic.
Experts say that beyond improving convenience, the authority expects the biometric platform to strengthen identity verification, reduce the risk of impersonation and support more efficient airport security, while maintaining compliance with data protection.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
About 14.12 per cent stake in Ikeja Hotel Plc has been acquired by Honeywell Group Limited, a notice on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited has revealed.
Honeywell Group took up the part of the hospitality firm through one of its affiliates known as HGL Real Estate Limited.
Ikeja Hotel, in the disclosure filed with the NGX on July 2, 2026, said the stake comprised 305,323,525 units of its equities.
“Ikeja Hotel hereby notifies the Nigerian Exchange Limited and the general public that it has received notification from HGL Real Estate Limited, an affiliate of Honeywell Group Limited, that it has acquired 305,323,525 units of Ikeja Hotel Plc’s shares, representing 14.12 per cent shareholding in the company,” the notice stated.
Ikeja Hotel is one of Nigeria’s leading hospitality investment and hotel management companies with premium hospitality assets.
It operates two leading hospitality organisations in Lagos, the Sheraton Lagos Hotel and Balmoral Convention Centre.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
About 10 hospitality establishments, including hotels and restaurants, were sealed on Wednesday by officials of the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA).
The affected businesses are located in different locations in the Alimosho Local Government Area of the metropolis, Business Post learned from a statement from the agency.
It was stated that they were sealed by LASEPA for persistent violations of environmental regulations despite repeated warnings, abatement notices, and several opportunities to comply with the agency’s directives.
According to the notice, the enforcement exercise was carried out in line with the directives of the Lagos State government to ensure strict compliance with environmental laws and to safeguard public health.
The affected facilities were said to have breached various environmental regulations, including noise pollution, air pollution, unlawful discharge of untreated effluent, obstruction of official duties, among others.
LASEPA closed the premises of Granduer Meridian at Obasa Akiniyi Street, Oluwaga, Ipaja for non-compliance with the agency’s directives; Lasola (Spazio Bar), located on Ipaja Road, Fatolu Bus Stop, Ipaja, was sealed for noise pollution and non-compliance with directives; Millennium Restaurant, located at Gate Bus Stop, Ipaja, Ayobo, was shut down for non-compliance with directives; O2 Exquisite Suites & Tower on Jimoh Akinremi Street, Jimoh Bus Stop, Akowonjo, was sealed for non-compliance with directives; and Chirozz Hotel & Suites, located on Samuel Street, Akowonjo, by Vulcanizer Bus Stop, Egbeda, was closed for noise pollution and non-compliance with directives.
In addition, House 7 Hotel, located at Remi Akande Street, Egbeda, was sealed for non-compliance with LASEPA’s directives; House 48 on Isiba Oluwo Street, Egbeda, was sealed for non-compliance with directives; Exclusive Hotel, located at Ishan Kimishe, Akesan Bus Stop, was shut down by non-compliance with directives; Sabola Ventures Limited, Iocated at Km 11, LASU–Isheri Road, Igando, was shut down for operating without evidence of an Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP), and discharging untreated effluent into public drains; and City Int’l Motel, located at Chief Olu-Adegbite Street, off Oladun Street, Council Bus Stop, Idimu, was sealed for non-compliance with directives.
