Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode on Friday said his administration will take advantage of the huge potentials available in the hospitality sector to create jobs for youths in the state.
The Governor, who spoke at the official commissioning of The George, a hospitality centre in Ikoyi, Lagos, said the government will expand the frontiers of the hospitality industry in the state so as to attract investment.
He said the current economic realities in the country have made it necessary for the state to develop a non-oil sector to ensure sustainable revenue source.
To this end, Governor Ambode said relevant policies and incentives will be put in place to create an enabling environment for the development of the sector, which according to him, is a key driver of his administration’s agenda.
“This is a happy occasion because it has reaffirmed the status of Lagos State as the first choice destination of investment. It also confirms the untapped opportunities in tourism and hospitality sector in Lagos State.
“Lagos State is known as the Centre of Excellence for a number of reasons. One of these is the accommodating nature of our people and the various tourism and recreation sites that abound in the state.
“We are committed to putting in place relevant policies and incentives that would create an enabling environment for the development of the hospitality sector as a key driver of our administration’s development agenda,”, he said.
The Governor also called on other investors to key into the various opportunities that abound in the tourism belt spread across the state.
“Lagos is open for business. We assure you of the safety of your investments and we would continue working to make your investment worthwhile in all cases,” he said.
He also commended the management of The George for investing in the provision of accessible road and street lighting within the location of the hotel as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility.
“This gesture shows you as a worthy partner of the state government in infrastructural development,” he said.
Governor Ambode, who later handed over a letter of commendation to the management of the hotel, said the same gesture will be accorded worthy citizens who contribute to the growth and development of the state.
Earlier, Chairman of the hotel, Mr. Tien George said with the setting up of the hotel, they intended to play a key role in the development of tourism in Lagos as well as provide employment for the teeming youths in Lagos and Nigeria.
“We wanted to lift the hospitality business in Nigeria to a completely new pedestal. We believe it was not worth our trouble to do what everybody else has done. We needed to do something different. We wanted to show our young men and women that the best of the world was possible in Nigeria,” he said.