The Minister of Tourism, Lola Ade-John, has urged the Lagos State Government to maximise the tourism potential of Epe town, known for fishing.

The minister called on the state government to establish a proper fish market capable of attracting tourists to the area, while also urging the residents to keep the town clean.

Ade-John made the call during her visit to various tourist sites in Epe town, including the Oju Alaro Shrine, the Marina Waterfront, Palace of Oloja of Epe, and some iconic colonial buildings, Ade-John emphasised the need for the involvement of locals in maintaining these attraction sites.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that while expressing her enthusiasm for the considerable tourism potential in the town, Ade-John vowed to assist in attracting more tourists to the area.

“We are going to help you advertise what you have so that people can visit Epe more than ever before, but the sites must be kept neat,” she stated.

Highlighting the importance of local government initiatives in ensuring cleanliness at these sites, she emphasised, “The local government must work on sensitising the locals to always ensure these sites are neat and tidy. It won’t attract tourists if they are left like this.”

Observing the abundance of colonial buildings in Epe compared to Lagos township, Ade-John urged the community to preserve and cherish these historical landmarks.

“Epe is a beautiful place to be, with beautiful beaches, mangroves, seafood, and all; these are what the backpackers want to see,” she remarked.

Echoing similar sentiments, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu recently underscored the tourism potential of the Badagry area of Lagos during an inspection tour.

Last week, the governor visited several tourist centres in Badagry, including the Slave Museum International, Vlekete, Badagry Heritage Museum, the First Storey Building, Point of No Return, and Mobee Royal Family Museum.

“For us, it is to complete the ongoing projects that we have seen, and we saw some of the heritage sites, not to deface it but to restore them, to generally just preserve what we have for the tourism potential of Badagry,” Sanwo-Olu said.