Adebimpe Akinsola Lagos To Close Oba Akran Avenue For Street Carnival

Special Adviser to the Governor on Tourism, Arts, and Culture, Adebimpe Akinsola, who said this on Sunday during an interview with reporters, hinted that the event has been slated to hold on December 3.She said while the venue of the carnival would be shut down, adequate preparations have been made for alternative routes to mitigate the impact of the road closure on motorists and residents.

“To this end, several adjoining roads would be closed on the day of the carnival while alternative routes could be accessed by road users,” Akinsola said in a statement issued by the Ministry’s Public Affairs Officer, Ganiu Lawal.“We like to assure Lagosians (Lagos residents) and visitors that efforts are in place to ensure that the venue and environs are safe and incident-free.”

According to her, government would collaborate with the police and Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) among other relevant agencies in the areas of security and crowd control.Giving details about the carnival, Akinsola said: “Last week, we rolled out our end of the year programme. The Lagos street carnival is to herald the yuletide season. When you talk of carnival, it is to showcase all the diversity of cultures in Lagos State.

“There is going to be an overflow all through Oba Akran; people dancing, eating, showcasing diverse cultures from different local governments and other estate groups that are resident in Lagos State.”

Having staged the event on the island in the previous year, the governor’s aide said government has decided to hold this year’s edition on the mainland with the aim of taking it across the state.

She added that it was in line with Governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s resolve to run an all-inclusive government where no one would be left behind not in infrastructure, but in every sense of governance.Akinsola informed that the governor had been making the state better and ensuring excellence through ‘project THESE Tourism, Hospitality Entertainment and Arts, and Sports’.

She further asked Lagosians to join the state government in making the event memorable, saying it is meant for both adults and children.“We have engaged a lot of artistes from different genres not only hip-hop; we have hip hop artistes, Fuji, Waka, Juju, Gospel and the best of it and at the same time, we have cultural groups that would be on display on that day. The carnival will start by 12 noon all through 12 midnight,” she said.

The event is designed to celebrate the multi-cultural nature of Lagosians and reposition the state as a formidable cultural destination.