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… Approves training for practitioners in the creative industry
… Plans are underway to establish Tourism Endowment Fund, says Commissioner
Following the announcement of the sum of N1 billion as seed capital for investment in Tourism, Arts and Culture by the Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the State Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Pharmacist (Mrs) Uzamat AkinbiIe-Yusuf on Wednesday rolled out other palliative measures approved for practitioners in the industry in order to drive the growth of hospitality, tourism and entertainment businesses in the State.
The Commissioner who made this disclosure while addressing a press conference in Alausa, Ikeja, said that the briefing was necessary in order to expantiate and address grey areas in the earlier pronouncement made by the Governor in consonance with the recommendations submitted by the Lagos State Covid – 19 Pandemic Review Committee constituted by the State Government to critically assess and review the negative impacts of the pandemic on the tourism and the Creative sector in the State.
Akinbile-Yusuf stated that the seed capital shows the passion of the Governor in creating an enabling environment that will promote sustainable tourism given its major potential to contribute to jobs and wealth creation.
According to the Commissioner “it is my pleasure and honour to inform Lagosians that Mr. Governor has graciously approved the release of N1 billion as seed capital for investment in tourism to drive the growth of hospitality, tourism and entertainment businesses”.
This commitment from the Governor, she noted, was aimed at providing key operators in tourism business with soft loans to boost their capacity in driving growth and also position tourism business as a new frontier for job creation and economic prosperity in the post-Coronavirus era.
Further expatiating on the gesture of Mr. Governor, the Commissioner noted that the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture will work hand in hand with the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund, LSETF, to administer the single digit loan to practitioners that meet the criteria that would be set by the Ministry and LSETF.
Akinbile-Yusuf also highlighted other palliatives and efforts by the State Government that will guarantee quick recovery of the tourism sector to include; 50% rebate for license and renewal fees payable to the Ministry by all hospitality, tourism and entertainment establishments across the State.
Others are “Establishment of a platform to commence working relationship with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for access to COVID – 19 Tourism sector fund, a Creative Financial Initiative Fund, to be made available to practitioners in the State, Establishment of Tourism Endowment Fund in conjunction with the ministry of Justice which is aimed at improving the tourism and entertainment sector in the State, training for practitioners in the creative industry through the Lagos Creative Academy amongst other.”
” As contained in the submission made to Mr Governor by the Palliative Committee in respect of Capacity building, the Governor has approved training for practitioners in the creative industry through the Lagos Creative Academy to be put in place by the Ministry,” the Commissioner added.
The Commissioner also used the opportunity of the Press Conference to remind practitioners in the hospitality and entertainment industry that the window of opportunity to register their establishments with the Ministry is still open, stressing that these palliatives can only be accessed by registered practitioners as recalcitrant facilities risk being shut down by the government as no hospitality establishment will be allow to operate in the State without due registration with the Ministry.
She appreciated the State Governor for increasing the number of social gatherings to maximum of 50 persons, this she said signals a gradual recovery of activities in the entertainment and creative sector.
The Commissioner, however, pleaded with the practitioners not to abuse the privilege or misconstrue this additional easing of lockdown as a means to open up, noting that night clubs and beaches remain closed until further directive from the State Governor.
Responding, the Chairperson of the Lagos State Covid – 19 Pandemic Review Committee,. Mrs. Joke Silva acknowledged the passion of the Governor to ensure that the torursim and entertainment industry recovers within the shortest time possible.
She said “As a matter of fact the Governor has actually approved all what we recommended because we proposed the sum of two billion naira in all for our members. What the Governor did was to approve 1 billion naira in form of cash while the other 1 billion naira was approved in form of waivers.
“We are aware of the fact that the State government has not also generated revenue as proposed for the year 2020 because of inactivity of some of the mainstream sectors ocassioned by the Covid19 Pandemic. ”
She, however, appealed to practitioners in the Tourism and Entertainment industry that N1 billion approved as seed capital for investment in Tourism, Arts and Culture by the Lagos State Governor would be made available to the most vulnerable practitioners to ensure that they are not sent out of business permanently.
She also commended the intention of the State Government to establish a Tourism Endowment Fund, adding that the initiative will put the practitioners in Lagos State at par with their contemporaries across the globe.
