The Lagos State Government said it has invested several billion naira in the area of sponsorships and support for the creative industry in the last year as part of efforts to strengthen the State’s entertainment and tourism ecosystem.
The Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mrs. Toke Benson-Awoyinka, disclosed this during the ongoing annual Ministerial Press Briefing, commemorating the seventh year in office of the administration of Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu.
She disclosed that the Ministry supported 201 events, festivals, and creative programmes in the period under review, revealing that the figure represented an increase from 143 initiatives supported in the previous year.
Supporting over 200 creative initiatives in a year, according to the Commissioner, demonstrates a practical commitment of the administration of Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu to deliberately growing the creative economy.
In her words: “Between May 2025 till date, the Ministry, through its Creative Arts Department, significantly expanded its support for the creative and cultural sector by sponsoring over Two Hundred and One (201) events, festivals, and programmes, representing a notable increase from the One Hundred and Forty-Three (143) initiatives supported in the previous year.
“The Ministry also issued endorsement letters to more than One Hundred and Fifty-Nine (159) creative stakeholders, providing institutional support to aid their engagement with sponsors and development partners for the successful execution of their projects and initiatives.”
She listed some key initiatives supported during the year being reviewed to include the Lagos Fashion Week, Felabration 2025, Lagos Cocktail Week, Homecoming Festival, AFRIMA, Lagos Fanti Carnival, and the Eyo Festival.
The Commissioner said the investments had contributed significantly to job creation, tourism development, youth empowerment, and international media visibility for Lagos State.
According to her, Lagos remains the creative capital of Africa with expanding opportunities in arts, culture, fashion, music, film, and tourism.
