The Honorable Commissioner, Ministry of
Tourism, Arts & Culture, Pharm. Mrs Uzamat Akinbile-Yussuf, while addressing
the press during a briefing gave insight about the event. According to her, the
event is to be hosted virtually and will accommodate many African based
Holistic Practitioners and Wellness businesses to discover local solutions that
help to manage daily stress and boost mental wellbeing.
Furthermore, she gave more insights about
the theme saying ‘We don’t talk about mental illness or emotional health the
same way we talk about physical health. Programs as this is believed to help
destigmatize mental illness, raise awareness and empower people to be on the
front lines of meeting mental health needs’
She also spoke on the Master Plan of Lagos
Tourism sector, thereby stating that one of the sector is Medical and Wellness.
In her words “The mental health of a
state is important.’’ The importance of Wellness Tourism is such that cuts
across all nations of the world.
Uzamat informed all that Wellness Tourism
attracts the high-end tourists from developed and developing nations, it
increases the economy of not only developed countries but also developing
nations, which otherwise are rich in conventional methods of health and
wellness.
The Honourable Commissioner went on to
mention that the event would involve a Panel of Discussants, Mental Health
Doctors, Therapeutic sessions, Shopping for healthy food drinks, Workshop, Cooking
demonstrations, Therapy connections, are all the experiences all should expect
as the Eko Wellness unfolds. She
encouraged the attendees especially Lagosians to use the Wellness Fair as an
opportunity to better their overall wellness.
She went further while concluding, that
this year’s Eko Wellness Fair, for obvious reasons, would be very unique and at
the same time peculiar because of the psychological effect the Covid 19 have
caused in the tourism sectors which will be looked into as well as solutions to
be proffered, while stating her hopes that participants who will not be present
at the venue would join the celebration via Zoom and Facebook Livestream.
In her response, the Convener, Oyin Talabi thanked the Hon, Commissioners for Tourism and Health for their support and cooperation towards a successful hosting of the 6th edition of Eko Wellness. She thanked Pharm. Uzamat for taken up Eko Wellness as her baby and product.