IBRAHIM QUADRI
Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu said creative sector provides a unique opportunity to launder the image of Nigeria globally to change the negative aspect often attributed to the country.
He said this on Tuesday at a briefing to announce the commencement of the Lagos International theatre festival slated for November 14 to 17, 2024.
Sanwo-Olu stated that Lagos has unique opportunities to launder the image of the country with festivals like the Lagos International theatre festival.
The governor maintained that the commitment of the Lagos State government and theatre practitioners to the success of the festival is a further demonstration of the can do spirit of Nigerians.
“It is really an opportunity for us. For us as a state government, it is not per chance that we are committed to the creative and entertainment sector because it is something that we thought of reason, it is one of the pillars of the administration’s agenda. And we are begining to see the benefits. The government that you support will not leave you to it alone.”
Sanwo-Olu underscored the need to have a calendar of festivals so that people can look up to and plan for them.
He further said that November to December would continually be for entertainment in the state.
Sanwo-Olu enjoined the practitioners to keep pushing and not give up about taking theatre and the creative sector to higher heights.
“We are just enablers and provide the opportunity. We are doing this through grants, training and signing the cheque. We are truly happy to have the festival and all of us are on this journey. We are totally commited to this and the entire theatre community.”
On her part, team lead of those promoting the festival, Bolanle Austin-Peter, said she is excited that the world is going to come to see the beauty of Nigerian performances on stage.
She emphasized the power of the theatre to create jobs, noting the developmental role the arts place in the development of the personality of a person.
Austin-Peter was optimistic that the festival will start taking place at the Wole Soyinka Theatre from next year, which the governor reechoed, pledging commitment to see it happen.
She thanked the governor for the support as it would go a long way to make it a success.
The Chairman of Channels TV, Dr John Momoh also thanked the governor for supporting the project. He was optimistic that the festival would be a fantastic one at the end. “We need an international theatre festival. We have got the men and women to make this posible because we have the talent.”
A theatre art practitioner, Bimbo Manuel further commended the governor and state government for helping to revive theatre sector.
