Lagos aims to generate N1b from carnival

The Chief Organiser of 2015 Lagos State Carnival, Mr Adeogun Adeola, has projected that Saturday’s (today) carnival involving elaborate costumes, pomp and pageantry would generate N1 billion to government’s purse.

Adeola, also the Special Adviser to the Lagos State Commissioner for Tourism, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

The 2015 Lagos State Carnival will be held at the Tafawa Balewa Square in Lagos from 6.30 a.m. on May 9.

He said the N1 billion would be generated from sales of handcraft and cultural memorabilia.

``Most of the items that will be sold there are made by the special skill acquisition centres established by the state government.

``We have invested so much in this year’s carnival and we look forward to great harvest and satisfaction of tourists.

``We have many products to be sold to most of the attendees and lovers of traditional attires.

``Students from the state’s special skill acquisition centres will have an exhibition of their products,`` Adeola said.

He told NAN that the carnival would commence at 6:30 a.m. with a procession from Bourdilon through Campus Square to Tafawa Balewa Square, all on the Lagos Island.

According to him, 35 carnival groups in Lagos will participate in the procession.

He said that the yearly carnival, which started in 2010, was aimed at celebrating the state’s ancestry and her economic growth.

``Lagos State is known as the centre for commerce and has been experiencing spontaneous growth in the past years.

``This carnival is another avenue to celebrate the rapid economic growth and Lagos’s rich culture.

Adeola also told NAN that necessary facilities had been put in place to ensure that tourists were comfortable during the festival.

``We have made arrangements too for the LAGBUS to convey tourists to the site from different locations within the state.

``Fifteen thousand cartoons of noodles will to be dished out to the first 15,000 tourists who get to the venue early enough,`` he said.