Some fun-seekers at the just concluded `One Lagos Fiesta’ have lauded the Lagos State Government (LASG) for hosting the event in old five divisions that made up the state.
They, in separate interviews, told our reporter that the arrangement had enabled many residents of the state to fully participate and enjoy the fiesta.
They appealed to the state government to extend the fiesta to other festivals such as : the Eid-ul-Fitri, the Eid-ul-Kabir and Eid-ul-Maulid.
NAN reports that the maiden five-day fiesta, which was held simultaneously in Ikorodu, Epe, Badagry, Lagos Island and Agege, ended on Jan. 1.
Mr Wilson Davies, a resident of Ikorodu, who described the event as a “unifying factor”, said it represented the new face of tourism in the state.
“In the past; people, young and old, often went to places like the Bar Beach and Badagry to seek fun during festive seasons.
“So, this method is a good innovation to attract fun-seekers to gather at different locations of the state to enjoy same unique experience,’’ Davies said.
The resident, who is also a professional photographer, urged the state government to organise similar fiesta during other festive celebrations.
Another resident, Onikosi Abdulrasak, said the presence of security personnel emboldened him to pay a repeat visit to the ground.
“I first attended the fiesta on its third day and I fell in love with the array of activities and artistes at the event.
“Initially, I was scared when I saw the crowd, but the moment I saw that security was beefed-up, I decided to come for the grand finale,’’ he said.
Meanwhile, some vendors at the fiesta said that it had been financially rewarding, given the volume of fun-seekers, who thronged the venue each day.
Mrs Naomi Wahab, a barbeque caterer, said she had made more than N400,000 since the fiesta began.
“I sold one barbeque for N1,500; chicken cost N1,000 and I sold gizzards among other things.
“I really enjoyed it, and I do not mind if this happened every day because business strife well,’’ Wahab said.
Another vendor, Mrs Tosan Erogbogbo, also the Managing Director of Rhoda Youth Centre, said the fiesta afforded entrepreneurs the opportunity to network and meet new clients.
She, however, urged the organisers to reduce the cost of space allocation for subsequent events in order to encourage more entrepreneurs to book for spaces to display their products.
“I feel the N50,000 I paid for this space is too expensive, given the fact that I still have to provide my own generator to power my fruit juice machines.
“All we were provided were electric bulbs. So, the organisers should make better arrangements for us (business men and women) in subsequent editions,’’ Erogbogbo said.
NAN reports that the `One Lagos Fiesta’ is organised by the state government as a platform to promote culture, tourism and entertainment.