By Lukman Olabiyi
Lagos State Government has revealed that security has been beefed up around all the major event centres, beaches and others ahead of annual Greater Lagos Fiesta countdown.
The state government assured of provision of watertight security before and after the festive period, especially at the designated venues for the 2024 Greater Lagos Fiesta countdown.
The state Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mrs. Toke Benson-Awoyinka gave the assurance at a press conference while giving a breakdown of different activities line up for the season.
The commissioner said over 25,000 participants would attend the fiesta.
At the press conference, Benson-Awoyinka flanked by the Special Adviser to the Lagos State governor on Tourism, Arts and Culture Mr. Idris Aregbe and Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Oloruntoyin Atekoja, said the state had put in place security measures that would prevent any form of violence during the three-day fiesta.
She said: “We have put a lot in place for security; we are working actively with all security apparatus of the state.
the Nigeria Police, DSS, Civil Defence, LASTMA, Neighbourhood Watch among other security operators in the state. We are making sure that the entire space is secure; we are ensuring that our children are well taken care of and secure as well.
“The Lagos Countdown 2024 #Greater Lagos Fiesta has become an annual tradition, a celebration of music, entertainment, and the vibrant spirit of Lagos. This year, we are taking the fiesta to a whole new level, with three days of non-stop excitement from December 29th 2023, to January 1, 2024.
“We are intentional in our focus of deliberately positioning Lagos State to favourably compete with developed cities of the world in terms of hosting tourism and entertainment events.”
Benson-Awoyinka added that the annual fiesta had over the years proven to be a very engaging and mind-blowing event, providing fun activities and entertainment for Lagosians in their various localities across the five Ibile divisions of the state.
“As a matter of fact, the Lagos Countdown 2024 #Greater Lagos Fiesta, has been serving the purpose of discovering and nurturing new talents, exposing young talented entertainers to bigger platforms while also serving as a mechanism for curbing youth restiveness that often characterises the festive period.
“The three-day event, apart from showcasing the cultural activities and nurturing up-coming talented youngsters in the entertainment and creative industry, the entertainment show will also positively impact the state’s economy through massive sales of goods and services to thousands of fun and entertainment lovers throughout the duration of the event.
“The 2023 edition of Lagos Countdown Greater Lagos Fiesta will feature fireworks, live music concerts, comedy, and cultural performances across the five IBILE divisions of the state: namely: Ikorodu, Badagry, lkeja, Lagos and Epe.”