…Sanwo-Olu says festival will create employment opportunities, drive commerce
Lagos State is gearing up to host the first Lagos Shopping Festival, scheduled from December 23 to 25 at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena on Lagos Island.
The State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, announced the initiative during the unveiling of the festival symbol at the Lagos House in Ikeja.
Governor Sanwo-Olu said the inaugural Lagos Shopping Festival will drive commerce by supporting local businesses, attracting global brands, and creating direct and indirect employment opportunities through vendor participation, logistics, events and entertainment management.
The Governor said the Lagos Shopping Festival, which the Lagos State Government is supporting through the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Arts in partnership with Tolaram Africa Group, Guinness Nigeria Plc, Zenith Bank Plc, and Chain Reactions Africa, will attract local and international tourists to Lagos and position the state amongst her peers with their shopping festivals.
Governor Sanwo-Olu also commended Tolaram Africa Group, Guinness Nigeria Plc, Zenith Bank Plc, and Chain Reactions Africa, “for heeding the call, seeing our big picture, and supporting the maiden edition of the Lagos Shopping Festival.”
The festival’s Director of Organisation and Logistics, Ms. Damilola Pedro, who described Governor Sanwo-Olu as the Lead Strategist and Biggest Salesperson for Lagos, said the shopping festival will promote trade and commerce during the three days of activities.
Speaking earlier, the Special Adviser to Governor on Tourism, Culture and Arts, Mr. Idris Aregbe, narrated how, by sheer happenstance, the Ministry had used a fair earlier organised in the month of April in conjunction with another private entity as proof of concept to test the waters ahead of the Lagos Shopping Festival, which is bigger in scope and scale.
He told the gathering comprising representatives of Zenith Bank Plc, Tolaram Group, and Guinness Nigeria Plc how the sales recorded in a period of three days surpassed the N250 million sales threshold the organisers had never crossed.
Aregbe also commended Governor Sanwo-Olu for giving support to every Lagosian and for using entertainment as a platform to promote commerce.