7th Jan 2015 In Lagos, Nigeria, the state Governor, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola has recently assured the people of Apa Kingdom in Badagry division of the State that his administration is devoted to opening up rural communities in the region to the international tourism market. The traditional ruler of the kingdom had noted earlier that the village was the third most prominent kingdom in the entire State, and had urged the government to bring development to the ancient kingdom at a faster pace.
The message by governor Fashola was relayed to the people of the area on his behalf by the Lagos state Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Mr. Lateef Raji, at the sixth coronation anniversary of the Alapa Oba Adekanmi Oyekan Possi. Mr Raji noted that the government is particular about the historical and cultural values of Apa kingdom.
An excerpt from the governor’s address reads “Your government is already working on its goal to open up Apa Kingdom and its environs for local and international business interest. To achieve this, the state government is set to make the entire Badagry division the next tourist destination of Africa with the completion of the 10-lane Lagos-Badagry expressway,”
The governor’s address cited Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates as an example and motivation to develop the often neglected suburb communities, as the country has successfully tapped into its tourism potentials, despite being a desert country.
He is quoted as saying “Dubai had shown that with the feat it had achieved through the development of the tourism industry and that the tourism economy was more enormous than the petroleum economy. That is what your government hopes to achieve in Apa kingdom,”