Osinbajo opens UNWTO Global conference in Lagos, says Nigeria’s Afrobeat changing the world

Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo on Tuesday in Lagos opened the United Nations World Tourism Organisation 2022 Global Conference with a declaration on how Nigeria’s afrobeat music is changing the world.

Osinbajo represented President Muhammadu Buhari to welcome Ministers of Tourism and Culture from around the world who are converging on the upgraded National Arts Theatre, Orile Iganmu in Lagos.

Nigeria is the host country for the 2022 Global Conference of the UN organisation.

Speaking on the significance of travel and tourism to the Global economy and people to people relations, Osinbajo described Nigeria as vibrant economy with young people that are producing songs to global acclaim.

“If you attend a concert in a lot of places around the world today, it would not be odd to find Afrobeats songs being played, or Nigerian Afrobeats artists performing. From the young boy recording in a studio in Lagos, Nigeria, to millions of ears around the world. Music is a global language in which the only requirement needed for participation is one’s ears. You do not need to understand the language it is made in to connect, and this makes assimilation easier. I believe that sectors such as this are low-hanging fruits that should be explored in tourism, culture, and creative industries.

“I used the story of Afrobeats and its shining lights to illustrate the importance of taking advantage of our rich cultural heritage while speaking at the opening of the UNWTO Global Conference on Tourism, Culture and Creative Industries. I emphasized the importance of promoting tourism, especially in local cultures and creative industries as a means to boost economic development and cross-cultural collaboration as I officially declared the conference open,” said the Vice President.

The UNWTO is focusing on a post-covid 19 Global economic recovery and how the creative industries, culture and tourism will be enablers.