The Lagos State Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MTAC) has launched the Lagos Tourism Support Services Platform to boost safety, emergency preparedness, and cleanliness during the ember months.

The ministry’s deputy director of public, Adeoti Sobowale, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday in Lagos.

She said the initiative was aimed at ensuring a safe, secure, and enjoyable tourism experience throughout the festive season.

According to the statement, the special adviser to the governor on tourism, arts and culture, Idris Aregbe, formally launched the platform on Wednesday in collaboration with key government agencies.

The participating agencies include Lagos State Safety Commission (LSSC); Lagos State Emergency Management Agency; Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Agency (LSNSA), and Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA).

Others included, Lagos State Ambulance Service and the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service.

Mr Aregbe stated that the initiative aligned with the T.H.E.M.E.S plus Agenda of Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration, which aimed to foster an enabling environment for businesses and position Lagos as a safe, clean, and tourism-friendly destination.

He emphasised that the ember months were typically a busy period, thus requiring strong inter-agency collaboration to ensure public safety, effective crowd control, and rapid emergency response.

“Ember months come with heightened activities in the hospitality and entertainment space.

“All hands must be on deck to ensure that Lagos remains safe, secure and clean for both residents and tourists.

“Our emergency responders must be on standby to mitigate risks while also creating opportunities for citizens to benefit from the activities within the hospitality sector,” he said.

LSSC’s director-general, Lanre Mojola, said the ember months were characterised by heightened human and vehicular traffic, which increased the need for robust safety protocols, crowd management strategies and enforcement of guidelines across venues.

Mr Mojola said the commission would intensify inspections and monitoring of event centres, hotels and entertainment spaces to guarantee compliance with safety codes.

He pledged the LSSC’s commitment to ensuring that all hospitality and tourism-related events during the ember months adhered strictly to safety standards and regulatory frameworks.

The permanent secretary of MTAC, Olanrewaju Bajulaiye, said the initiative would not only protect lives and property but also boost investors’ confidence in Lagos as a premier destination for leisure and business.

Mr Bajulaiye pledged the ministry’s commitment to continue to provide the necessary support to ensure the sustainability of this initiative.

Also, the general manager of LSNSA, Ifalade Oyekan, pledged the agency’s commitment to providing intelligence-led security and effective crowd management during the ember months.

He added that the agency would intensify surveillance in key tourism corridors and event hotspots to prevent security breaches.

(NAN)