Lagos to scale down Regatta Festival to halt coronavirus spread

The Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mrs Uzamat Akinbile-Yussuf on Tuesday said the 2020 Regatta Festival would be scaled down in order to avert the spread of coronavirus pandemic.

The Commissioner made the disclosure during a press briefing at Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre, Alausa Ikeja.

According to her, the programme would commence from April 10-12. She added that the proposed date is tentative due to unforseeeable circumstances around Covid 19.

“There will be Conference on Tourism and Business Opportunity on our Waterways at Eko Atlantic, Victoria Island by 10am.

“This will feature discussions on harnessing the tourism potentials of the State and creating an enabling environment that will promote sustainable tourism that is widely recognised as a key sector for achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), given its major potential to contribute to jobs and wealth creation in the developing World.

“Same day after the Conference, there will be official opening ceremony of Greater Lagos Regatta and Festival at the Festival Village in Eko Atlantic with cultural display from all the representatives from IBILE divisions of the State and the general public.

“There will also be a concert where various Local Artists will be on stage, Talent Hunt and exhibition stand will be providing for prospective Exhibitors to display their products, among others.

On the second day, “This will feature Boat Regatta display, parade and racing by all the divisions of the State and private boat clubs. It will hold within the waterfront of Five Cowries, Falomo, Ikoyi, Lagos and this would be followed by lightening of the waterways to showcase the beauty of our waterfront as well as other side attractions.

“The Day 3 of the event is going to be the grand finale of the Greater Lagos Regatta and Festival. On this day, there will be presentation of awards to winners, followed by concert with grade A Artists and closing ceremony to bring the programme to climax.   Let me stress that winners of the Boat Regatta would be determined through an Online voting platform as well as the assessment of the Panel of Judges that would examine the performances by each of the divisions and private boat clubs,” she said.

She explained that, “The Ministry is aware of the COVID -19 and we are working with the Ministry of Health to create washing of hands points, provide hand sanitizers, and ensure safety of Lagosians during and after the programme.

“In a bid to reposition the Ministry in line with the goals of the present Administration to develop Tourism, Arts and Culture to its optimal potentials and showcase the State to the World, the Ministry has concluded arrangement to organise Greater Lagos Regatta and festival scheduled to commence Friday 10th – 12th April, 2020.

“The State Government will be collaborating with GRADIENT HILL Limited, a private Organisation in hosting the event which expectedly would increase investors and tourists’ participation in the festival as several private firms are already indicating interest to participate in the event.

“With this partnership, it is our hope that the project will showcase the physical and natural attributes of Lagos, the endearing and welcoming spirit of the people, the already established reputation of Lagos as the primary entertainment destination in Nigeria and to ensure not only the success of the programme but to keep the event going well into the future. The event will feature Festival Village, Children’s corner, Concerts, Talent Hunt among others.

“While we are using this programme to leverage on the unique opportunities provided by entertainment Industry, we are also trying to reach out to major tourism stakeholders in the continent and market Lagos as a choice and must visit destination in Africa;

“While I call on Lagosians to turn out en-mass for this event and cheer their respective divisions during the Boat Regatta performances and also enjoy the various fun activities lined up for pleasure,

“To also maximize the economic opportunities of this event for our business owners, interested vendors willing to participate in the event are invited to show their interest through the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture as provision has been made at the Eko Atlantic City for exhibition and display of goods and services throughout the three days of the event.

“Also, it should be noted that children would not be left out from this three-day festival of fun. A Festival Village and Children’s Corner would be created for parents who would come for the celebration with their children. There will also be a mild display of fireworks as part of the lined-up activities for the celebration,” she said.