The Lagos State Government has joined forces with the Canadian High Commission to execute a comprehensive overhaul of the state’s tourism architecture, aiming to transition the metropolis from a seasonal holiday hub into a year-round global destination.
The joint initiative was unveiled during the “Experience The Best of Lagos” stakeholder conference in Victoria Island, bringing together grassroots administrators, local council leaders, and international diplomats to align on a unified commercial strategy for the sector.
Addressing local council officials, the Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Tourism, Arts and Culture, Idris Aregbe, declared that the administration is targeting the 2026 “ember” season as the benchmark for a complete turnaround in destination management and revenue generation.
Aregbe charged leadership across the state’s 20 Local Government Areas and 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) to assume direct responsibility for mapping and commercializing tourist sites within their borders. He noted that scores of world-class cultural and historical destinations remain obscure due to weak local promotion and lack of coordinated branding.
“My mandate is to ensure that tourism is boosted in Lagos to become the best. We need to continue to create a better environment in the tourism, art, and culture sector,” Aregbe said. “You are the keys to the door of tourism in your councils. We must be able to hold the tourists and give them an unforgettable experience that will make them spend more days than expected or book Lagos for their next season.”
He stressed that tourism must be viewed beyond basic entertainment, highlighting its direct link to commerce, food, transportation, and film production. Aregbe further urged Nigerian content creators and filmmakers to leverage digital media to reshape international perceptions of the state.
Corroborating the state’s vision, the Canadian Deputy High Commissioner, Carlos Rojas-Arbulú, stated that Lagos holds immense commercial value that remains under-exploited in international travel markets.
Drawing from his two-year diplomatic residency in the city, Rojas-Arbulú identified three fundamental requirements for global competitiveness: value definition, functional structure, and strategic storytelling.
“It’s understanding that you hold value; you have to find a way to package it in a way that speaks to that international visitor,” the envoy noted.
He underscored the necessity of multi-destination travel packages backed by reliable transport networks and organized service providers. To alter international media bias, Rojas-Arbulú urged stakeholders to project Nigeria’s cultural dominance in Afrobeats, cuisine, fashion, and entrepreneurship, while offering to facilitate structured linkages between the creative hubs of Lagos and Toronto.
