Lagos State Ministry of Tourism Arts and Culture has expressed its readiness to deepen the already existing collaboration with the management of Lekki Conservation Centre, LCC, to ensure the preservation of nature within the Centre.

The Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mrs. Uzamat Akinbile-Yussuf, who stated this when she led a delegation on a courtesy visit to the LCC recently, added that the existence of Lekki Conservation Centre complements the plans of the State Government to restore nature in some areas across the State.

She commended the rationale behind the establishment of the Centre, saying that it is quite laudable that Lagos, in spite of its huge population and landmass constraint, still has a reserved landmass of 78 hectares for the residents to have a feel of nature.

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The visit, according to her, was aimed at increasing public awareness about the Centre, promote nature and adventure and also encourage Lagosians to visit the Centre periodically to experience something different from the usual city life ambience.

The Commissioner recalled that it was in recognition of the importance of the Centre that the State Government listed Lekki Conservation Centre as one of the State’s Tourism sites in order to increase traffic to the Centre and also give it international recognition.

In his remarks, the Director-General of LCC, Dr. Muhtari Aminu-Kano, acknowledged areas of intervention by the Lagos State Government in the past as well as that of some private organisations, stressing that the support has helped sustain the effective management of the Centre.

He added that the Centre is able to charge a very affordable fee for visitors as a result of several donations, support by different corporate organisations and the Lagos State Government.

Specifically, he said that the State Government was solely responsible for the Construction of Longest Canopy walk in Africa, Family Park Development, and designation of LCC as Lagos State Monument Site among other assistance received from the government.

He, however, solicited for more support from the government in order to maintain the green nature of the LCC environment, enhance the original purpose for establishing the Centre and also improve the infrastructure within the Centre.

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The Director-General maintained that the level of patronage and visitors to the Centre had reduced since the advent of COVID-19 pandemic, revealing that the Centre usually had up to 80,000 visitors on a yearly basis with the exclusion of a minimum of eight visiting schools daily.

From its origin and establishment in 1990 by the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF), Lekki Conservation Centre (LCC) has grown into one of Africa’s prominent and most-diverse urban Nature Parks due to its high species richness.

The Centre is located in the coastal environs covering an approximate land area of 78 hectares, extending from kilometre 19 along the Lagos-Epe Expressway and ending at a close distance to the Atlantic Ocean near Okun Ibeju Village, Eti-Osa Local Government Area in the Eastern district of Lagos State. LCC is widely acclaimed as an icon of nature conservation and pearl of ecotourism in Lagos State.

Other members of the visiting team included the Special Adviser to the Governor, Mr. Solomon Bonu and some other principal officers of the Ministry.