Barrister Femi Martins, Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Tourism, Arts and Culture, said that the State Government’s support for the Y2022 Olokun Festival was motivated by the desire to maintain the State’s rich cultural heritage and festivals.
Martins, who spoke during the Olokun Festival hosted at the Monarch Event Centre in Lekki, Lagos, praised the festival’s organiser, Yeye Lara Fashola-Fanimokun, for the fresh and ongoing touch of creativity given to the yearly event, particularly the involvement of tourists and cultural enthusiasts from all over the globe.
He noted that culture and heritage have a prominent position in the State’s Tourism Master Plan, which Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu recently presented to tourism stakeholders, adding that Lagos is dedicated to supporting any effort aimed at preserving its cultural legacy.
Yeye Fashola-Fanimokun also addressed the audience, informing them that the festival’s purpose was to honour the rich cultural and spiritual heritage of the Yoruba, as well as the Yoruba deity of enormous prosperity and economic success.
While praising the efforts of the current government to improve the tourist industry, the Convener urged parents to constantly recognise and value their culture and traditions while instilling the same patriotic spirit in their children.