Tourism minister Lola Ade-John urges Nigerians to uphold and take pride in Nigeria’s vast cultural heritage.

Ms Ade-John made the call during the 2024 edition of the King Kosoko Memorial Lecture held on Sunday.

The event in Lagos also featured a book launch entitled ‘King Kosoko, His Life, His People and His Settlements’, written by the Oloja Elect of Lagos, Abiola Kosoko.

The minister said upholding the nation’s cultural heritage, such as that of the late King Kosoko of Lagos, was important to create wealth. She said this could be done by spurring local and international tourists to learn and experience late Kosoko’s legacies and other past great leaders in Nigeria.

“Today, we honour the enduring legacy of King Kosoko. I am filled with pride and gratitude. Today, we are custodians of history. It is our duty to ensure that the stories of our ancestors, their triumphs and struggles are never lost.

“Let this event be a call to Nigerians everywhere, to embrace our heritage with pride and to invite the world to witness the wonder that is Lagos and the magic that is Nigeria,” she said.

The minister said that Nigeria’s vast culture and tourism potential remained largely untapped.

She said research revealed that 2019 tourism contributed nearly five per cent to the nation’s gross domestic product with just over 1.2 million international visitors.

“Imagine what these figures would look like if our 200 million plus population buy into the idea of domestic travel. Lagos, rich in culture and history, leads this growth. Initiatives like this serve as beacons that can attract even more to our shores.

“The possibilities are endless if we fully tap into the potential of our over 1,000 assets and over 800 festivals. As we leave today, let King Kosoko’s spirit, his courage, vision and love for his people inspire us. I hope this will drive our passion to make Nigeria a global cultural destination,” she said.

The late King Kosoko was the Oba of Lagos between 1845 and 1851.

His insistence on the slave trade was the pretext for the 1851 British bombardment of Lagos, for which he went into exile in Epe. 

(NAN)