Yuletide: Lagos Begins Boat Regatta to Boost Tourism

In a move to boost tourism in Lagos State, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has launched a boat regatta across the five divisions of the state as part of a broader strategy to position the state for economic prosperity.

In his address on Saturday during the opening ceremony of the Lagos Boat Regatta 2024, themed; Our Water, Our heritage, Our life, Sanwo-Olu revealed that the commencement of the boat regatta which would feature displays of various sizes of water infrastructure reflects his administration’s commitment to exploring the full potential of tourism to boost the state’s economy.

The Governor emphasized the urgent need for the state to start exploring the waterways for the greater good of the state and all Lagosians.

According to him, the waterways, which account for one-third of Lagos State, go beyond addressing the transportation needs of Lagosians but have great economic potential, particularly in the tourism sector.

Declaring the Lagos Boat Regatta 2024 open, Sanwo-Olu said, “We are indeed excited that we can finally have a boat regatta, the beginning of what will be a lot of activities that are going to happen during this Yuletide season. This one, being a very first, is a demonstration of our commitment to develop tourism potential in Lagos.

Highlighting what to expect from the event, he added, “You know one-third of Lagos is surrounded by water, so we need to be able to use our waterways not only as a means of transportation but as a strong ecosystem for tourism, and today, you will be seeing displays of various sizes of water infrastructure and display of boat regattas from the five divisions of Lagos.

“It is going to be a day and afternoon of sheer tourism, fun and understanding the beauty of the waterways of Lagos. Let us relax, sit back and enjoy the beauty of serenity and tourism potential of the state and the hospitality of Lagos,” he concluded.

The Commissioner for Tourism , Arts and Culture, Toke Benson-Awoyinka, thanked the Governor for supporting the Lagos Boat Regatta initiative stressing that it would ease transportation burden on Lagosians and also attract investors to the State.

Awoyinka reiterated the commission’s commitment to transforming the state into a global tourism destination that will attract tourists and boost local businesses.