The Lagos State Government has trained tourism officers from the 57 Local Government Areas and Local Council Development Areas (LGAs/LCDAs) to strengthen community participation and promote sustainable tourism development across the state.
The capacity-building workshop, organised by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, held on Thursday, October 8, 2026, at the Lagos State Council for Arts and Culture, Ikeja, under the theme, “Strengthening Community-Based Tourism: Building Sustainable Tourism through Community Participation.”
Speaking at the event, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mrs Bopo Oyekan-Ismaila, who represented the Commissioner, Mrs Toke Benson-Awoyinka, and the Special Adviser to the Governor on Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mr Idris Aregbe, said the initiative reflected the government’s commitment to inclusive and sustainable tourism.
Oyekan-Ismaila highlighted Lagos’ cultural, historical and natural attractions across Badagry, Epe, Ikorodu, Ikeja and its riverine and coastal communities. She noted that heritage sites, festivals, local cuisines, crafts and waterways offered opportunities to develop tourism products and create economic benefits for residents.
She stressed that community participation was essential to preserving cultural heritage, protecting the environment and ensuring that local people benefited directly from tourism-related opportunities. She added that community-based tourism aligned with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s T.H.E.M.E.S. Plus Development Agenda, particularly its focus on economic growth, job creation and the empowerment of women and youths.
According to her, the workshop was designed to build the capacity of tourism officers, promote the sharing of best practices, identify viable community-based tourism opportunities and strengthen collaboration among government, host communities, tourism practitioners and private-sector stakeholders.
One of the facilitators, Dr Adeyinka Olarinmoye, Head of the Department of Tourism and Hospitality at Lagos State University, spoke on “Community Participation, Ownership and Governance in Tourism Development.”
Olarinmoye emphasised the need to involve host communities in planning, developing and managing tourism destinations. She also called for transparency, effective governance and collaboration among stakeholders to ensure that tourism benefits were fairly distributed.
