Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State says the creative sector offers a unique chance to showcase Nigeria’s positive image globally while addressing the negative narratives often associated with the country.

Mr Sanwo-Olu said this while briefing journalists at the Lagos House Marina to announce the opening of the Lagos International Theatre Festival.

The festival is scheduled to begin from November 14 to 17.

Mr Sanwo-Olu said Lagos could uniquely showcase the image of the country through festivals like the Lagos International Theatre Festival.

”We want Lagos State to have the best theatres and best producers; our stories should capture our essence. Where we are today was the Lagos Colony as far back as 150 years ago.

” We are rich in history and we should take pride in showcasing our rich cultural and arts heritage. We want to build something like the Caine film festival.

” I’m proud of all your accomplishments in the entertainment industry in general; be rest assured that the Lagos State Government will give you all the needed support,” he said.

The governor called for the need to have a calendar of festivals that people could look up to and plan for, saying November to December would continually be for the entertainment in the state.

Mr Sanwo-Olu enjoined the practitioners to keep pushing and not give up on taking theatre and the creative sector to higher heights.

Bolanle Austen-Peters, the convener and founder of Terra Kulture, said she was excited that the world would see the beauty of Nigerian performances on stage while emphasising the power of the theatre to create jobs.

She thanked the governor for the support, as it would go a long way to making it a success.

The chairman of Channels Television, John Momoh, also thanked the governor for supporting the project as he was optimistic that the festival would be a fantastic one at the end.

The Lagos Theatre Festival (LTF) is the largest performing arts festival in Nigeria and West Africa and was created to promote theatre in unconventional spaces.

The festival was founded by the British Council in 2013 to foster exchange, collaboration and strengthening relationships between Nigerian and British artists through the presentation of high-quality Nigerian and British theatre.

Since its inception in 2013, the Lagos Theatre Festival has hosted six festivals, with 260 productions, 50 workshops and over 420 shows.

(NAN)