‘NAFEST Will Boost Lagos Hotels, Tourism’

The National Council for Art and Culture (NCAC), has commended the Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu for the recent facelift of the National Stadium in Surulere for the 2022 edition of the National Festival of Arts and Culture (NAFEST).

The organisers of the National Festival of Arts and Culture (NAFEST) have hailed the forthcoming festival saying Lagos State is ready to enjoy the hosting rights of the event which brings culture-active people from across the country under one roof. They pointed out that already, Lagos hotels, especially those of them situated in Surulere, close to the National Stadium, the venue of the fiesta, are fully booked ahead of the November event.

Eko NAFEST 2022 runs from November 7 to November 13 at the National Institute for Sports, inside the gigantic Nigeria National Stadium, Lagos.

Dubbed Eko NAFEST, the NCAC hoped that the biggest celebration of Nigerian culture would create “over 3,000 jobs in the festival’s downstream sector with opportunities in the skilled and unskilled labour as well as skills acquisition supported by NCAC.” 

According to them, Lagos is the epicentre of Nigeria’s economic and entertainment industry and to which Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu will leverage on in the hosting of the festival to open up real estate opportunities in Lagos for the benefit of its five divisions and local communities.

The Director General, the NCAC, Otunba Segun Runsewe, said Eko NAFEST is a huge platform to create jobs, provide recreation opportunities and services as well as a one-stop cultural market for startups in technology, travel and leisure as well as water and marine tourism.

Runsewe adds: “I have no doubt from experience that Eko NAFEST lunch, during which Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu fully deployed support, will break records in adding value to socio-economic development projects of Lagos State Government.

“The Lagos State Commissioner for Tourism, Mrs. Uzamat Akinbile-Yusuf is with me on this effort to use this festival (NAFEST) to create immediate and future socio-economic cultural tourism future jobs for youths and women in Lagos.”

 Tourism insiders have also stressed that the cultural event is expected to be a meeting ground for creative industry people and tourism markets, including those in travel technology, insurance, logistics and telecoms.

One of them said: “The weeklong event will of course create jobs for people in fast food business, food and beverages, costume making, fashion and local fabric designers and souvenir makers. You know transport and accommodation providers and leisure centres will all be involved and they will smile to the bank.”

October 22, 2022