Press Releases

Black Heritage Festival, The Next Big Annual Continental Event - Fashola
…Says a new economy has emerged on Lagos waterways

Apr 3, 2010 - Amid a brilliant display, celebration and dramatization of the rich and limitless resourcefulness of the black African race in Lagos as the Third Black Heritage Festival flagged off, Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN) on Saturday promised to ensure that the State does everything to sustain and amplify the festival as the next big annual event in the Continent.

Governor Fashola, who spoke at the Lagoon Restaurant, Victoria Island venue of the colourful opening ceremony of the festival with the theme: “Memory and Performance in the Return to the Source”, added that the performances that will carry the festival through the one week of joyous celebrations will be breathtaking.

Said he: “Over the next one week, we will attempt through art, through dance, through play, through film, through poetry, through prose, through drama, indeed through a boundless, timeless and jubilant celebration of our shared African ancestry, to identify and appease the ancestral spirits and masquerade behind each of those masks. We will try, I say, because like Lagos, we know, it is near impossible to fathom in a thousand days, let alone a week.. but try we must”.

He said the ports and beaches of Badagry which served a few centuries ago as the point of no return for far too many of African brothers and sisters has been rechristened as the port of the triumphant return of the long gone relatives from the Caribbean and the Americas because of the Black Heritage Festival.

“As befitting the city of acquatic splendour, there would be boat regatta on the Lagoon and waterways starting from this afternoon and on land there will be exuberant dancing and colourful costumes and masquerades of the Lagos Carnival that promises to turn the streets of Lagos into one long gyrating movable feast on Monday”.

Continuing, the Governor said, “we have deliberately combined these events, the Heritage Festival, the Boat Regatta and the Lagos Carnival into a weeklong activity that signals the emergence of Lagos on the International tourist calendar in the season of Easter, which is a global holiday period”.

“In the Boat Regatta, we see the playful and benign enactment of the outbound journey of the middle passage, sailing into the wide blue yonder. Conversely, through the Carnival, in the pulsating and primordial polyrhythm of the African drums, the call and response of drummer and dancer, we see the return to the source of the musical spirits and energy of African brothers and sisters from the Caribbean and the Americas.

“We welcome you all aback home. We this, we appease the masks of reconnection, revaluation and re-vindication”.

While asserting that the State has a lot of experiences to draw upon especially since the hosting of the World Festival of Arts and Culture, (FESTAC) in 1977, Governor Fashola added that the Lagos of today is a different place from the Lagos that hosted FESTAC 77 with some of the physical monuments of that time still remaining, notably the National Theatre and Festac Town, but in almost all other measurements, it is a different City- State.

He emphasized that many other events have held in the State such as the recent MNET Face of Africa that have reaffirmed the views that Lagos is Africa’s fashion capital, adding: “Lagos is one of the five biggest economies in sub-Saharan Africa, bigger than most African countries”.

He said: “It is therefore in addition to that elusive thing that makes Lagos, “Lagos”, the rightful ancestral space that welcomes not just our fellow Nigerians from every state of the federation, but our fellow Africans as well as indeed Africans as well as indeed the rest of the world”.

Governor Fashola said against the background of the Jubilee celebration of Nigeria’s Independence, the Black Heritage Festival holding within the safe habour of Lagos, signals to the rest of the country that the celebrations have begun.

While emphasizing that Lagos is not a finished article, he said on the contrary: “We are a work in progress, building on a solid and illustrious foundation. We find the courage to test our endeavours because we are confident of their sustainability. As you traverse our City-State, you will see testimonies of rebuilding that re-affirm our commitment to regeneration”.

Governor Fashola who added Rejuvenation to the festival theme which is Reconnection, Revaluation and Re-vindication expressed hope that the festivities would be a much needed respite from the daily challenges of life in the big City- State as well as a richly deserved tonic that helps prepare for the new encounter with the remarkable City- State called Lagos.

The Governor predicted that so much of the World’s future and its survival will depend on Africa’s blessings; her sun for renewable energy, her rain forests for medicine and protection of the eco-system, her natural extractive resources of oil, gas and solid minerals.

Also speaking while flagging off the First Lagos Annual Water Regatta, Governor Fashola said the prominence of Lagos across the World owes its origins to its waters and how it was used many centuries ago by the Portuguese.

“There were of course some improper uses of our waterways especially the slave trade that we resolve to forgive but not forget”, he said.

He added that currently a new economy has emerged on the waterways, lagoons and creeks of Lagos with the passage into law of the Lagos Water Ways Authority bill, adding that there is a lot of money and opportunities in the waters and those who seek prosperity are urged to return to it.

Governor Fashola said many young men and women are now employed in the agency that regulates water transportation, granting licenses to ferry operators and ensuring safety across the length and breadth of the Lagos waterways.

“Our commitment to improve the use of water for exchange of goods and services and to connect people has led to the construction of three purpose designed jetties in Badore, Ipakodo and Osborne which are nearing completion”.

He said the Regatta signals the commitment of the administration to explore to the fullest frontiers of the possibility of the State’s great water asset for tourism, sports, re-creation and so much more.

The Governor emphasized that these is evident in the departure from previous regatta that focused largely on dancing and cultural display to an expanded format that incorporates racing, competition, kayaking, sailing, boat parade, jet and water-skiing.

Earlier in his welcome address at the opening ceremony, Commissioner for Tourism and Culture, Senator Tokunbo Afikuyomi described the weeklong ceremony as a festival of life and a celebration of the re-union of the Black people.

He said all the events at the ceremony will demonstrate the infinite capacity of the Black Race which would hopefully bring about a Brighter Rewarding Future to everyone.

Also speaking at the commencement of the Water Regatta, the Chairman of the Planning Committee, Engineer Olusegun Jawando said the programme is meant to celebrate the acquatic splendour of Lagos.

While lamenting that the Lagos lagoons are no longer the heartbeat of the State, he said the water regatta is being staged to reveal its true potentials, promising that it would become an annual event and a tourist attraction.

There were several cultural displays and dances at the opening ceremony which also had foreign tourists in attendance while the canoe race competition during the water regatta was won by Epe Local Government.

Among the notable personalities who attended the event were Deputy Governor, Princess Sarah Adebisi Sosan, members of the State Executive Council, Nobel Laureate and Consultant on the Festival, Professor Wole Soyinka, Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu I, Oba of Badagry, Whenu Aholu MenuToyi 1, some elected Local Government Chairmen, Chairman of the Action Congress in Lagos, Prince Henry Ajomale and many other dignitaries. The First Annual Water Regatta also drew participation from all parts of the State while a number of personalities from the private and public sector added colour to the event with their Jet Ski.