By: Tijani Salako.

The Lagos State Government has engaged stakeholders across the tourism, hospitality, and entertainment sectors, urging them to ensure a seamless tourism experience ahead of the upcoming yuletide season. The call comes as thousands of visitors and returning residents are expected to troop into the state for December festivities.

The charge was delivered by the Honourable Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mrs. Toke Benson-Awoyinka, during her keynote address at the one-day stakeholders’ summit held at the Lagos Continental Hotel.

The event, themed “Unlocking the Potentials and Opportunities of Lagos Tourism: Collaboration and Partnership for a Greater Lagos,” attracted key government functionaries, including the Commissioner for Transportation, Mr. Oluwaseun Osiyemi; the Commissioner for Waterfront Infrastructure Development, Mr. Dayo Alebiosu; and several general managers from agencies such as LASTMA and LASEPA.

Benson-Awoyinka stated that Lagos is committed to unlocking new opportunities and enhancing its global competitiveness. Addressing tourism operators, investors, destination managers, innovators, and policymakers, she described the summit as a strategic platform centered on collaboration, innovation, and shared responsibility.

“Lagos is blessed with immense tourism value. It is home to people from across Nigeria and the world, creating a rich cultural mosaic represented through festivals, cuisine, entertainment, events, and parks,” she said.

The Commissioner emphasized that positioning Lagos as a top international destination for leisure, business, and cultural experiences requires a collective effort. She stressed that all stakeholders play critical roles in building a vibrant, sustainable, and investment-friendly tourism ecosystem.

She explained that the summit was designed to strengthen strategic partnerships within the tourism, entertainment, and hospitality sectors; enhance service delivery; boost destination competitiveness; and explore new sustainable opportunities.

According to her, panel discussions, stakeholder engagements, and technical sessions will generate practical strategies to improve infrastructure, enhance safety, strengthen regulatory frameworks, elevate service standards, and refine promotional efforts across the tourism value chain.

“These insights are critical as Lagos continues to attract growing local and international interest. We must ensure that our systems are efficient, inclusive, and responsive to the evolving needs of a dynamic global tourism industry,” Benson-Awoyinka said.

She added that the state is assessing its readiness to accommodate increasing numbers of visitors and investors, particularly as Lagos enters its peak festive season, expressing confidence in the state’s capacity to unlock greater cultural and economic potential through deeper stakeholder collaboration.

Similarly, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mrs. Adebopo Oyekan-Ismaila, expressed deep appreciation to stakeholders, industry professionals, and government leaders for their contributions to the state’s tourism development.

Speaking on behalf of the staff and management of the ministry, she noted that the dialogues held during the summit would strengthen shared commitments to advancing the tourism, entertainment, hospitality, and creative sectors.

Oyekan-Ismaila extended warm appreciation to the Governor of Lagos State and his Deputy, commending their visionary leadership and steadfast support for building a globally competitive tourism ecosystem. She also praised the Honourable Commissioner for Tourism for her “beautiful and serene leadership,” noting that the ideas exchanged at the summit would undoubtedly propel the industry forward as Lagos positions itself for heightened tourism activity and increased global relevance.