The maiden Afropolis Lagos Festival, an international festival of arts, creativity and innovation, has been declared open by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State.
Governor Sanwo-Olu was represented at the event, held on Saturday in Lagos State, by his deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat.
The governor, during the opening of the festival on Saturday at the JK Randle Centre for Yoruba Culture and History, said the celebration of the richness of African culture, arts, creativity, and innovation had become the commitment of the state government.
Sanwo-Olu said: “This festival has become a unique gathering for us, a melting point of ideas where tradition and modernity converge, where we believe the past made the future.
“This year’s theme: “The New Myth,’ is a powerful and timely call for re-imagination, renewal, and a fresh understanding of who we are as Africans and what we aspire to become.
“The myths that we have inherited from our forebears have been the foundation of our collective identity, values and culture.
“These stories have carried the wisdom of our ancestors, guided our beliefs, and shaped our societies.”
Sanwo-Olu noted that as the world evolves, Africans must also recognise that its narratives must also evolve.
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He said that the theme challenged Africa to create new stories that would not only honour its heritage, but also speak to the modern African experience, stories that embrace Nigerian diversity, resilience, and limitless potential.
He said that through history, storytelling had been a powerful tool for shaping societies, influencing mindsets, and inspiring changes.
Sanwo-Olu said that new myths were not just about fantasies, but about possibilities.
According to him, they are imaginative spaces where dreams are made tangible, where visions are painted in bold colours, and where the narratives of the African future can take shape.
He added that Africans needed new myths that would challenge stereotypes, break boundaries, and dismantle limitations.
He said that such myths must capture the spirit of innovation, creativity, and resilience and “that defines us as a people.
“Myths that can propel us towards a more inclusive, equitable, and prosperous continent.”
According to the governor, Afropolis Lagos is an event that testifies to the boundless energy, talent, and potential that resides “within our creative industries”.
Sanwo-Olu called for a craft that would shape the myths and define the future of the state.
He said: “As we open Afropolis Lagos 2024, I encourage everyone to engage fully with the exhibitions, dialogues, and performances that will unfold over the next few days.
“Let us immerse ourselves in the beauty of our diverse cultures, learn from each other’s perspective, and leave this festival with a renewed sense of purpose and the commitment to creating and crafting new myths that will inspire generations coming behind.
“Let us write the next chapter of our story, where Africa is the author of its own destiny.”
Earlier, Toke Benson-Awoyinka, the state Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, told revellers to expect an engaging season from October 26 to November 3.
Benson-Awoyinka said individuals would be occupied with electrifying cultural performances, music and all, as the festival also focused on technology, innovations, creativity, arts, music, dance, and more.
She said: “This is what we are made up of in Lagos, this is about us, it is about music, dancing and our culture.
“Everything is not engineering or science.
“The festival will feature films, music, dance, comedy, poetry, games, exhibitions, panel discussions and more.”
Also, Qudu Onikeku, founder of QDance Centre, the initiator of the festival, said the vision of Afropolis coming to fruition was in the power of collaboration, which the slogan of Lagos harped on.
Onikeku said many brands had collaborated with him and the Lagos State Government by putting in place pavilions like vibe stage, groove stage, film lab, and gemini gallery.
He appreciated the revellers for coming out in their numbers as well as the collaborators.
He said: “We have to learn collaboration, without collaboration Lagos will never be great, it is not easy because it is not about inclusion.
“This is our way of making Lagos a local hub for creative energy.
“Participants from over 11 countries have arrived.
“We have people from: Dakar, Cotonou, Colombia, Netherlands, Cameroon, Ethiopia, UK, Germany, Brazil, France, Lebanon, Canada, Uruguay, the United States, Jos, Abuja and Kaduna.”
The highlight of the opening of the event was the scintillating drama performance displayed by the Lagos State Council for Arts and Culture, entitledL “Ijuba.”
Dancers from QDance Centre also displayed Oya dance performance and another on reincarnation.
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