April 20, 2015 – Lagos State water-based festival, Lagos Water Regatta was full of splendour on Sunday as more states of the federation and international organizations made their entry and added colour to activities marking the event.
The festival, celebrated annually as part of the Lagos Black Heritage Festival came into existence in 2009, courtesy Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola and has since then being a yearly event.
Activities featured in the festival include swimming, boat race and the traditional boat parade, among others.
While the 2014 edition featured participants from neighbouring African countries such as Togo and Ghana, this year’s edition featured other riverine states like Delta, Edo and Akwa Ibom as well as the University of Ibadan, among others, while participating organizations and clubs added more colour to such activities as parade of boats and yachts, boat race, Skiing and open water swimming among other events.
In his remarks, Commissioner for Tourism and Inter-Governmental Affairs, Mr. Disun Holloway expressed joy that participation in the festival has grown beyond the boundaries’ of the state with each year bringing more colours to the event.
Holloway, who thanked Fashola and other sponsors of the event for making it possible to hold every year without fail, said government would continue to move the frontiers of the festival, which, according to him, is meant for relaxation and keeping alive the traditional legacy of the State.
Expressing pleasure at the ability of his ministry to package this year’s event, the Commissioner appealed to Lagos residents to endeavour to attend other activities marking the Lagos Black Heritage Festival such as the carnival which will now take place on May 2, 2015.
In his remarks, Flag Officer, Commanding Naval Training, Rear Admiral Olusegun Babalola Egbedina noted that the Aquatic Splendour of Lagos was rooted in the various ways water in the state and that it has been used over the years by both foreigners and the people of Lagos for the socio-economic prosperity of the people.
While thanking Fashola for his vision in establishing the festival, Egbedina, who described the festival as an open door to prosperity through tourism and an opportunity to expand the economic horizon of the state and Nigeria, called for more participation among Nigerians and foreigners in other to realize its full Tourism potential.
In his welcome address, Chairman of the Lagos Water Regatta 2015, Otunba Olusegun Jawando, expressed delight that the regatta was gaining international recognition adding that aside the participation of neighbouring African countries such as Ghana and Togo, the festival was now being listed on the calendar of the International Dragon Boat Federation.
Jawando told the gathering of prominent Lagos residents including members of the international community that the event had recorded tremendous growth since inception with several states of Nigeria and neighbouring African countries participating while more organizations and clubs continued to add colour to the annual festival.
Nigerian states that featured in this year’s event, according to the Chairman, include Osun, Ondo, Ogun, Oyo Cross-River, Akwa Ibom and Delta while international water-based clubs like the Lagos Jet Skiing Club, added colour and splendour to the festival.
