Culture

Lagos Tourism Set for Growth as LAGFERRY Hits 31,000 Hours

Published

9 months ago

November 29, 2025

Lagos tourism gets a boost as LAGFERRY logs 31,000 hours of operations, with plans to make Lagos an all-year tourist destination

Lagos State is poised to become a premier all-year tourist destination, with the government intensifying efforts to enhance the city’s attractiveness and accessibility, particularly through its waterways.

Also read: Lagos Police Suspend Oregun Egungun Festival over Unrest

Hon Dayo Bush-Alebiosu, Commissioner for Waterfront Infrastructure Development, reaffirmed the State Government’s commitment during the Tourism, Hospitality, and Creative Stakeholders’ Engagement Summit in Victoria Island.

“December is just a season. Lagos has the potential to be a year-round tourist destination. We want the Lagos experience to stand out and be competitive internationally,” he said.

Bush-Alebiosu highlighted the need for strategic planning across the city’s islands, describing initiatives to market Lagos as “the 10 islands of Lagos,” each with a unique tourist appeal.

He stressed that collaboration with the federal Ministry of Tourism would be critical to achieving these goals.

Meanwhile, the Managing Director of Lagos Ferry Services (LAGFERRY), Mr Abdoulbaq Ladi Balogun, reported that the agency had successfully operated for over 31,000 hours this year, serving passengers on both scheduled and charter services.

He emphasized the integral role of waterways, noting that one-third of Lagos State’s landmass is water and 15 of its 20 local government areas are accessible via waterways.

“We are preparing to launch a Water Taxi Initiative in the coming weeks, providing credible, safe, and convenient alternatives for commuters,” Balogun said, adding that Lagos ferries range in capacity from 20 to 60 passengers.

The summit, themed “Unlocking the Potentials and Opportunities of Lagos Tourism: Collaboration and Partnership for a Greater Lagos,” brought together tourism experts, investors, policymakers, and creative practitioners.

Both speakers highlighted the synergy between tourism and transportation in promoting the state’s hospitality sector, especially during high-traffic periods like the Detty December festival.

On safety and investor confidence, Balogun assured that LAGFERRY maintains a secure waterway system, which has attracted private sector and international investments. “Safety is paramount; without it, tourism and commerce cannot thrive,” he said.

Also read: Lagos Culture Week Set to Celebrate City’s Creative Spirit

The summit underscored Lagos State’s strategic focus on using its natural and infrastructural assets to strengthen tourism, boost economic growth, and enhance the visitor experience throughout the year.

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Culture

WAKE UP! Art Exhibition Returns for a Second Act

Published

1 week ago

August 27, 2026

Mariam Balogun

The contemporary art and photography exhibition “Wake Up!” is back again for a second edition.

Curated by Awele Onwordi, Wake Up! 2 exhibition pays homage to the Nigerian youth and burgeoning street culture which many of its contributing artists reference in their works.

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Titled “Young, Wild, Free”, the exhibition celebrates the creativity, resilience, freedom and cultural influence found in Nigerian youth.

Taking aim at societal issues and economic concerns, the exhibit reflects the youth and their refusal to compromise or bow despite all the challenges stacked against them while charting youth culture through art, music, fashion, skateboarding, photography and community.

The exhibition will be held, once again, at the Angel and Muse Gallery at 25 Sumbo Jibowu street off Ribadu Road off Awolowo Road in Ikoyi.

It will open on Saturday 5 September 2026 and will run until 11 September 2026
This second edition which focuses on celebrating, nurturing and exploring artistic practices rooted in youth and street culture will feature works from DENCITY and SUPERGLIDER HOUSE.

Exhibiting artists include Ajilore Kehinde – their work is deeply influenced by Nigerian street culture and works of other artists like Slawn, Peters Ejiro, etc, Chuka Onwordi – graphic designer who embodies themes of death, melancholy and beauty in his works, ZIDYEP – Abuja based creative whose works move between digital and physical spaces through art, graphic design and air brushing , Franklyn Okoye – graphic designer and artist whose works explore themes of identity and hyper-reality, Awele Onwordi – founder & curator of WAKE UP and multidisciplinary artist whose practice spans character art, creative logo design, album covers and more , Oluchi Kogolo – digital illustrator whose work explores street culture, personality and storytelling through a raw and playful visual style and Kozetuo Apeji – multidisciplinary artists who work explores experimental approaches to problem solving through both digital and traditional art forms.

Commenting on the exhibition in her curatorial statement, Awele noted that “despite economic instability, limited opportunities and socio-political challenges, Nigerian youth continue to shape culture through music, fashion, art, skateboarding, raves, photography and community.”

Also read: Five rising stars battle for 2026 Headies Next Rated

Continuing and harping on the raison d’etre of the exhibition she said, “Young, Wild and Free exists to celebrate Nigerian youth while also creating a platform that supports and amplifies them.”