The Greater Lagos Regatta and Festival will Spark Economic Growth

L-R: The Permanent Secretary, Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mr. Babatunde Olaide-Mesewaku; the Honourable Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Pharm. (Mrs.) Uzamat Akinbile-Yusuf; the Special Adviser to the Governor on Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mr. Solomon Bonu and Chief Executive Officer, Gradient Hill Limited, Mr. Ivor Ekpe at Alausa Secretariat, Ikeja, Lagos on Tuesday.

The Greater Lagos Regatta and Festival (TG-LARAF) will accelerate the economic growth of Lagos State by heightening  investor's interests in the potentials of state, the organisers have said. At a press conference to announce the event on Tuesday, Mr. Ivor Ekpe, Chief Executive Officer of Gradient Hill Limited, organisers of the event, said TG-LARAF is conceived to combine elements that have never been put together before to draw attention to the economic prospects of the state.

“The objective of TG-LARAF is very simple. It is not to have another party that will be forgotten till the next one. We saw an opportunity to do what will help Lagos beyond just the entertainment and to see how we can combine what nobody else has done before. We have put together a conference, which centres on the prospect, growth and opportunities in Lagos and combine that with the regatta and festival. So, this provides a wonderful opportunity to combine these elements and have a greater impact,” Ekpe said.

The event, being organized in partnership with the Lagos State Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, is scheduled to hold from 10-12 April. It will open with a conference tagged “Greater Lagos Inland Waterways Optimization and Business Conference.” The conference, slated to hold at the EkoAtlantic city, will be addressed by experts in tourism/ hospitality, finance, insurance, maritime as well as arts and culture sectors, who are expected to come up with ways on how best to harness water assets of the state to accelerate its economic growth.

The same day, the event will be formally declared open at an elaborate ceremony by the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

The second day will feature a boat regatta, racing competitions by traditional and modern marine vessels at the waterfront of the Five Cowrie Creek, while the third day will see awards presented to winners of the competition. 

Each day of the event, the organisers explained, will feature family funfair and bazaar as well live musical performances.