LR: Chief Bisoye Fagade, DG/CEO, National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR), representing the Minister for Tourism, Arts, Culture and Creative Economy; Mrs. Toke Benson-Awoyinka, Lagos State Commissioner for Tourism, Arts & Culture; Mr. Israel Jaiye Opayemi, MD/CEO, Chain Reactions Africa Ltd and organisers of Festival; Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Governor of Lagos State; Mr. Idris Aregbe, Special Adviser to the Governor on Tourism, Arts and Culture; Mrs. Abimbola Salu-Hundeyin, Secretary to the State Government; Mr. Gbenga Omotoso, Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, and Gbenga Adeyinka, ace comedian, at the opening of the Lagos Shopping Festival 2024 at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Onikan Stadium, Lagos Monday 23rd, December 2024.
The Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu has lauded the much-anticipated Lagos Shopping Festival (LSF), which was rounded off at the iconic Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Onikan, at 4am on Boxing Day, Thursday, December 26.
The Governor, who was full of praise for the organisers, one of Africa’s leading Public Relations Consulting firms, Chain Reactions Africa Ltd, commended them for giving Lagos State another pillar upon which a solid festival economy is being erected.
Said Sanwo-Olu: “We are gradually building a festival economy for our great State. This idea of a 72-hour shopping festival is another strategic pillar on which the full edifice of a festival economy at Yuletide can rest.”
The Governor noted with satisfaction how thousands of young people were gainfully engaged within the event management and commercial value chain of the Lagos Shopping Festival around design, set-up of the stage set, the sound system, the lighting system, crowd control, the volunteer network, ambience branding, and exhibition booth installation, to mention but a few.
He thanked officials of Lagos Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), the security and safety agencies who worked round the clock at the first-of-its-kind festival in Africa, pointing out that the fact that the 72-hour non-stop shopping and entertainment event was concluded without any hitch or medical emergency was a testament to the excellent organisational skills of the organisers and the roles of the State agencies as enablers.
The Governor said this maiden edition was about strategic scaling and optimisation of small businesses, connecting shoppers with Micro, Small, and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs).
The Governor also thanked some of the leading brands – Tolaram Group, Guinness Nigeria, Zenith Bank, and First Bank – for rallying corporate sponsorship for the successful hosting of the maiden edition of the festival.
Gbenga Omotoso
Honourable Commissioner for Information & Strategy
Lagos State
