Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State on Thursday promised to provide operational and logistic supports for the successful hosting of the 2019 Badagry Diaspora Festival.
Sanwo-Olu made the promise when the Chairman of the Nigerian Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, visited him to solicit for his support as the chief host of the festival.
The festival is tagged: “Door of Return” slated to hold sometime in October.
The governor said it was heartwarming that there were still people who have passion and believe in the national heritage, adding that the festival would open Badagry corridors for tourism.
Responding to the request of including the festival in Lagos Tourism calendar, Sanwo-Olu said the modality and well detailed plans would be looked into when the Commissioner for Tourism comes on board.
He appreciated the commission for the visit and thanked the Badagry Community as well as stakeholders for being receptive to tourists.
Earlier, Dabiri-Erewa said that the 2019 festival would mark 400 years of the history of slave trade in Africa.
The commission chairman said that they were taken out of Badagry through the point-of-no return.
She said the purpose of the visit was to intimate the governor on the project.
According to her, the festival will enable the commission to build a permanent “Door of Return” platform to further promote tourism in the area and as well in the state.
Dabiri-Erewa said that the festival would showcase Africa to the world in good light and on a positive note.