The Lagos State Ferry Services (LAGFERRY) says ‘Ignite Lagos’ is a programme used to showcase the beauty of Lagos State on the waterways – NAN.
Mr Abdoulbaq Balogun, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of LAGFERRY, stated this at the ‘Ignite Lagos 2.0 Water Steeze’ edition, held on Saturday in Lagos.
“This is our way of welcoming everyone to a new year; we have done it before, and we are doing it again, with many more to come.
“Last year, we had the first edition of Lagos Ignite 1.0, and today we are having Ignite Lagos 2.0.
“We are utilising the waterways to showcase the beauty of Lagos, bringing entertainment and tourism to the waterways.
“Apart from the regular transportation on the waterways, transporting goods and people in Lagos, one can actually have fun in a relaxed atmosphere while on board a boat on the waterways.
“We are demonstrating to the world that Lagos State is an ideal spot for entertainment and tourism, but this time on the waterways,” he added.
Regarding the safety of everyone on board the boat, Balogun noted that safety was a priority for LAGFERRY.
He added that it was a core value for them in terms of operation, asset management, and standard operating procedure.
“Safety is paramount; it is our top priority, and you can see that every safety measure has been taken to ensure the safety of our guests, operations staff, and equipment on board.
“We guarantee 100 per cent safety while they are on board,” he said.
He noted that the success of the first edition had translated into several memoranda of understanding and business interests, as private sector individuals had approached them for collaboration.
“Today, it is being organised by LAGFERRY, but I assure you that by next year’s edition, the private sector will have taken it over.
“For instance, when we had International Women’s Day in March 2021, the 2022 and 2023 editions were taken over by the private sector, and it has continued to this day,” he said.
On boosting the economy of Lagos through the waterways, he noted that the blue economy was a $1.7 trillion global economy.
The managing director stated that Lagos was doing much to tap into that huge potential.
He pointed out that part of what Lagos was doing was to strategically position Lagos Ferry Services, taking care of the commercial end of water transportation.
“Apart from transporting people and goods for Lagos residents on a daily basis, now this is entertainment.
“We are all aware of Detty December and what it generated for the Lagos economy and the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Lagos State.
“We are taking it further to what we can do on the waterways to add to the GDP of Lagos via entertainment, tourism, and commercial operations of our boats,” he said.
He noted that things had been very good since the coming on board of Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu in 2019.
Balogun noted that ever since Lagos waterways had witnessed a revolution in terms of watercraft equipment, jetty development, and terminal building, and even equipment.
“The boat we are presenting to the world today is actually built in Lagos and is comparable to any boat one can see all over the world in terms of safety gadgets and other things that make for a good sailing experience.
This is exactly what we are offering to the world through Lagos State Ferry Services,” he said.
The LAGFERRY boss listed other events for the year, including ‘Exclusively Love Lagos’ to celebrate St Valentine’s Day in February.
He described the event as another initiative to expand tourism on the waterways.
Balogun said that in June, LAGFERRY would hold a musical concert, adding that last year’s event was Fuji fusion, which celebrated the cultural heritage of Lagos, being a Yoruba state.
“This time around, we are blending Fuji with Hip-hop and Afro-Beat. For the June edition, this initiative will be called Musical Flowing with Water,” he said.
He said that for the Ignite Lagos side attraction, there would be musicians on board, and Lagos local delicacy and even continental dishes would be served.
“There will also be networking, as we have a complement of business people, private organisations, creative industry professionals, and government people.
“We appreciate everyone who collaborated with us to bring this to be,” he said.
A guest, Mr Akinyemi Olajuwon, urged Lagos residents to patronise the waterways, which he described as safe to use.
“The governor of the state has done a lot on water transportation, making it easy to navigate from Lagos to Badagry, Epe, and putting measures in place to ensure safety.
“I am expecting a funfair on the waterways today. LAGFERRY has always been a trailblazer on the waterways with their new innovations,” he said.
