Lagos set for another Seafood Festival

IKEJA, Nigeria – Lagos State Commissioner for Agriculture, Prince Gbolahan Lawal has said that the State is set to host the 2019 Seafood Festival on Sunday with a view to projecting the aquaculture and seafood potentials of the State to both the local and international markets.

Lawal who said this today at a Press Conference to formally announce this year’s festival organized by the State Government in collaboration with Sirocco Productions Limited noted that the festival would also project the State’s diverse seafood resources and bring to the fore its immense potentials and inherent investment opportunities.

The Commissioner explained that the Festival which has been themed “Celebrating the Seafood Diversity of Lagos State” would also feature various local and exotic seafood dishes for the enjoyment of all guests and participants just has he assured that preparations have been concluded to ensure that the festival is a huge success.

“As you are well aware, Lagos State is a maritime State with a coastline of about 180km along the Atlantic Ocean and a vast network of lagoons, creeks, rivers and estuaries, which accounts for 22% of its 3,577 KM² land area and has fishing and supporting activities as the predominant occupation of the people living in the coastal and estuarine areas of the State.  

“Thus, the State Government is organizing the 2019 Lagos Seafood Festival scheduled to hold at the Muri OkunolaPark, Victoria Island on Sunday,22^nd December, 2019. The aim is to showcase Lagos State aquaculture and seafood potentials to the local and international markets as well as stimulate the growth of entertainment and tourism in the State,” the Commissioner noted.

He pointed out that with a population of over 22 million persons, the State requires at least 374,000 tonnes of fish per annum compared to a domestic fish production of 155,262 tonnes per annum adding that it is also anticipated that this gap will widen as the State Government’s vision of making the State a 21^st Century Economy is fully achieved.

According to him, tourism, culture and entertainment are fundamental activities in the State with the potential of boosting the creative economy of the State and make it a tourist destination for both local and international tourists when fully developed stressing that the festival would not only showcase the States aquaculture and seafood potentials to the local and international markets but would also spotlight her in the international tourism calendar as a tourist destination.

“Other objectives of the Lagos State Seafood Festival include developing networking or linkages among stakeholders; sharing knowledge and technology used in the industry and exchange information on products and services available in the global market; and creating jobs as fresh investments are attracted into the fisheries subsector,” Lawal averred.

He said that the Seafood Festival would also impact on the State as there would be increased tourism activities, increased consumption of  various fish based culinary services available in the State, ease marketing for locally produced or processed fish, attract increased investments along the fisheries value chain and enhance fishing activities thereby increasing fish production in the State.

Lawal explained that the Festival would be a celebration of the State’s seafood products and services featuring processed and fresh seafood, entertainment, music, culture, commerce, competitions and various cooking lessons.