Promoting Tourism in Lagos

One reason people from all over the world travel to London is because of their iconic red double-decker buses. And the City of London is taking in billions of tourist dollars annually as a result. Nigeria can make Lagos a top tourist destination with the Danfo. When you watch James Bond movies in different countries, do you think it just happens? Please fact-check me. Those countries pay the family of Alfred Broccoli to have them set Bond movies in their countries. 

Before 1974, hardly any Britons went on holiday to Thailand. And then Thailand paid to have The Man with the Golden Gun shot in their country. And after 1974, Thailand became the top long-haul destination for British travellers after India (actually, British Indians mostly visit India). 

If the Lagos State Government pays $5 million to the Broccoli family to shoot a Bond movie in Lagos, with Daniel Craig fighting a villain, played by Wale Ojo, in a Danfo bus, and from there, they continue their chase jet skiing on the Lagos Marina and end up street fighting on Banana Island, I can estimate that by the following year, Lagos will make a minimum of $25,000,000 from tourism. 

And it does not have to be James Bond. It can be the next Indiana Jones movie or perhaps the next Star Wars epic. The movie franchise does not really matter as long as we can direct the attention of the world to Lagos as we spotlight our City of Excellence in a positive light. 

And if the Lagos State Government does not fund such a movie, then private sector captains operating out of Lagos can do it. The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry can coordinate all the five-star hotels in Lagos and get them to contribute $100,000 each. They will get back their money in multiple folds when tourists pour into Lagos. 

The first Hilton hotel in Europe is the Hilton Bosporus in Istanbul. That hotel and Istanbul became popular after Jules Dassin's 1964 film "Topkapi". And for the last sixty years, business has been booming! 

At the Murtala Muhammed International Airport and all over Lagos, Lagosians will make millions of dollars annually selling miniature Danfo buses to tourists. Rappers and hip-hop stars will wear T-shirts with Danfo buses. Very soon, Danfo will feature in other movies and will become a stable of hit songs. 

Nigeria has a bad reputation abroad, and in trying to rebrand our country, it will be a hard sell to project the whole country. But Lagos is redeemable. We can start with Lagos. Once they taste and see that Lagos is an exciting holiday destination and is safe, then we can move on to rustic Ibadan. Then, build a coastal railway that will take tourists from Lagos to the foothills of Obudu, where they can cable car up the mountains. 

But we must also stop de-marketing ourselves with movies like Gangs of Lagos. If we keep doing that, we will make local money, but we will never attract global cash. 

When you have leaders with vision, you will naturally have provision. But if they lack vision, then division will result.

Copied from Acknowledged Distinguished's page 

Picture :Punch