Trust you had a wonderful Easter Holiday Celebration? For me and for most Lagos residents popularly known as LAGOSIANS, I am sure the Easter was not a boring one at all, considering the fact that, it falls within the Celebration of the Lagos Heritage Festival week which is an annual event to promote the rich Yoruba Cultural Heritage and attract visitors to the State of Excellence; Lagos State.
The festival has become a brand in its own right; the uniqueness of this festival as compared to other festivals held in Nigeria is the fusion and point of convergence it creates for different genres of Arts through the different activities and events that makes up the total package: Drama, Dance, Painting, Music, Exhibition, Symposium, Carnival, Film show, Boat Regatta, Talent Hunt, Beauty Pageant and Masquerade Parade. The events cuts across every class and cadre of the society: Children, Teenagers, Adults, Academics, Entrepreneurs, Musicians, Actors, Christian, Muslim and Traditionalist.
This year’s event did not fall short of expectations; it was full of excitement for Lagosian and their guest who were on vacation for the Easter Holiday. The children’s Art exhibition was quite impressive; it was a great opportunity for them to exhibit their innate talents and creative prowess. The Afro-Brazilian Food was also interesting; this reflects the intertwining cultural relationship between the people of Lagos and Brazil.
The Boat Regatta was quite colorful; it was an opportunity for Lagosians and other residents from the riverine area like the Ijaw Youths to showcase their rich culture and be a part of this great celebration. The Badagry Day was graced by the popular traditional Sato dancers, the Gelede Dancers and the performance of the play Oshodi Tapa. Other performers that were featured in the festival were the Ondo, Oyo, Ogun and Ekiti performers.
The Grand finale of the Festival was the Lagos Street Carnival which was a very colorful event. “I am sure you didn’t miss that”. The Carnival had representatives from different Local government areas in Lagos. It was a very rich and colorful event which also exhibited the creativity abounds in the youths of these different local government areas and communities. The costumes exhibited at this year’s carnival were highly creative; the costumes added style, glamour and aesthetics to the entire event. In the spirit of Globalisation, we also had representatives from Zimbabwe as participants at the carnival, though few, their parade in their unique attires and flag goes a long way to lay credence to the essence of the carnival and the fact that carnival is a great way to promote Globalisation. Karikoga Kasese (CEO. Zimbabwe Tourism) in an interview on STV commended the efforts put into the realization of the entire festival and said the Zimbabwe Government is willing to take a cue from this remarkable experience to initiate a festival of this nature as a strategy for promoting peace, tourism and economic development.
What more can I say to justify the success of the festival or the efficacy of Festivals in promoting globalisation and economic development? For those who could not make the festival this year, I have tried in my little way to take you through the experience and appeal to your sense of imagination through the write-up and pictures I took during the events. I hope you find the pictures interesting.
How did you spend your Easter holiday? Did you also add a feel of culture and tourism? Why don’t you share your experience on this platform? I look forward to your contributions, comments and Easter experience. Next year will be another great opportunity to experience Easter in Lagos, Nigeria and I am sure you won’t want to miss it.
Till I hear from you then, I say “EKO ONI BAAJE O”
cultureexplore 
THESE ARE NICE PIX. THEY SAY A LOT ABOUT GOOD THINGS TO COME WHEN THE MEGACITY IS FINALLY PUT IN PLACE. SURE WE NEED MORE OF SUCH ACTIVITY, THERE IS THE NEED FOR A CULTURAL REJUVENATION. BY CULTURE I DO NOT MEAN RETROGRESSION. WE NEED TO FIND MEANING IN THINGS THAT ARE OUR OWN SO THAT WE CAN LINK UP WITH OUTSIDE WORLD WITH OUR OWN IDENTITY IN WHAT WE DO IN MUSIC, ART, INDEGENOUSE TECHNOLOGY,FASHION, ETC SEE WHAT THE JAPANESE, AND INDIANS ARE DOING.