Within the short period of creating Epe Ancient City Tourism, a platform meant to promote tourism potentials and business opportunities of the Epeland and projecting a good image to the world, some notable things have been recorded by this organization under the care of Princess Surah Olayemi Animashaun, the Supervisor for Environment & Tourism of Epe Local Government.
The activities done within this short period include; hosting of the Association of Women in Tourism business and tour operators, presentation at the 2020 World Tourism Day organized by the Lagos State Ministry of Tourism on September 27th through Zoom where Epe was highly projected and emphasis was more on the fish market at [Oluwo market].
During her presentation, Oluwo market was seen as the fish hub of Lagos.
The third [3] activities done by Epe Ancient City Tourism was the just concluded workshop at Court Hall, Ita-Opo, Epe where a Hundred [100] plus youths and women were trained in craft skills to make them bosses of themselves which in turn will create more job opportunities and indirectly affects the local economy of the Epeland.
The workshop was initially planned for three [3] days before the protest in the country but more days were added to it to make it a weeklong program that was tactically used to engage the youths and took most of them off the street during the protest.
The workshop which was tagged “Waste to Wealth” started on Monday 19th – 23rd October 2020 hosted by Princess Surah Olayemi Animashaun and was passionately supported and funded by one of the prominent sons of Epeland Honorable Abiodun Tobun representing Epe Constituency 1 at the Lagos State House of Assembly.
The participants were divided into two departments but three [3] groups.
The two departments are Coconut and Tyre whereby they created so many crafts from the use of coconut as their raw materials and the other department created different chairs and tables from the used Tyres.
From day one to the last day of the workshop was well attended by all participants and also well managed by the organizers.
On the final day, Friday 23rd at about 12:00noon, Hon. Abiodun Tobun worked into the venue with his entourage and his presence brought more life into the venue.
After observing the series of activities of the last day, the participants later exhibited all they have been doing from day one of the workshop to the last day. At the exhibition stand, Hon. Abiodun Tobun made it known to the participants that the initiative was brought to him by Princess Surah Olayemi Animashaun and because he saw the passion in her to develop and promote tourism of Epeland, he has no choice as a representative of the good people of Epe to support anything good for the growth of the land.
He stressed further, that he will support anywhere the organizers made available as a business hub for the participants with needed equipment and which he fulfilled immediately on the spot.
After his fulfillment on the equipment, a certificate of participation was presented to each of the participants alongside a token for transportation to their various destinations.
In appreciation of the kind gesture from Hon. Abiodun Tobun, the participants of both Coconut & the Tyre departments jointly presented some of their products created at the workshop to him through the host and initiator of the workshop Princess Surah Olayemi Animashaun.
Hon. Tobun further appreciated the participants with more cash prizes and promised his continuous support to the organizers on their subsequent activities to the benefit of Epeland.
In the same vein, the Facilitator of the workshop and the team leader from Badagry who also doubled as the Supervisor for the Environment & Tourism of the Badagry Local Government, Hon. Apata Samson Nunayon explains in detail the opportunities that surround the Tourism industry to the participants and encourages them all to put all they learned into practice as craft is one of the major tourism products that attracts daily incomes.
By Our Correspondent