On the 2nd of this New Year 2022, I and Mr Sanusi Hamadu got together to talk about his laudable project with the Lagos State Government called the Lagos Tourism Ambassadors Awards which is so dear to his heart. I took him on, on so many issues aside from his project. This is how the interview goes with him. Come along with me:
Q: Hello Mr Sanusi Hamadu, I hope, I got the name right? I am very pleased to hang out with you today. Today being 2nd of January 2022, I say Happy New Year to You!
A: Happy New Year to you too. It is going to be a great year. This is the year of the Lagos Tourism Ambassadors Awards. The most awaited Lagos State Tourism Ambassadors Awards will happen this year. It is the biggest award ceremony in Lagos State and Africa in general. There will be the best of Tourism Promotion this year which will be coming from none other than Shana Show Global Entertainment Company which I am the CEO of and the company is the official promoter of theLagos Tourism Ambassadors Awards. So,watch out everybody!
Q: I know you Mr Sanusi Hamadu, you have been around over the years in the music industry. You're an entertainer, music promoter, a member of PMAN and a member of COSON. How has the journey been like, can you share it with us?
A: Thank you very much. I am originally from Kano State of Nigeria. I was born and brought up in Agege here in Lagos. I started my musical carrier in my primary school days in Amosun Primary School Agege. And I got a massive opportunity to perform a musical act in the 80s for the then Nigerian Minister of Sports, Emeka Omeruha at the National Theatre Iganmu Lagos. So, the impact of that opportunity continued to drive me into the entertainment world. And I have been very much around ever since. I am the first Hip Hop Artiste from Agege. Even though, I am now resident in Ikeja, I am still regarded as the first Hip Hop Artiste from Agege. As an entertainer, I have been studying the entertainment industry and I realize that there is the need for structural arrangement. Meaning no matter how good you sing, no matter how beautiful you perform or how popular you are, if the institutions that support the music industry are not on ground, you will just make some money and at the end of the day we as musicians, we are not good financial managers. Just like so many other super stars like Majek Fashek, because of lack of that proper institutions to be put in place in terms of copyright institutions or The Performing Musicians Association Institutions PMAN (that should be kind of foundation that will drive you, help you organize yourself, organize your funding and organize your pension. All these can only be done by institutions and if they are not there, you will just make your money and at the end of the day, nothing to support you later on in life when you encounter crisis. That's why we started looking inward and forward, and in the process we realize that the government has to invest in the community and help to create the institution that will help the growth of the entertainment industry. So, Shana Show Entertainment and the Progressive Entertainers Network created the Lagos Tourism Ambassadors Awards where 55 members of the Nigerians who are in the Entertainment Industry will be engaged and be awarded as the ambassadors to promote Lagos State Government and Lagos State Tourism as a whole.
Q: What a nice concept! I really like it. Who gave birth to the laudable idea?
A: Like I said before, I have a registered company called Shana Show Global Enterprises handling Shana Show Global Entertainment. So, the whole idea came in my effort to right the wrongs going in the industry. For example, I am not part of those who sit and criticize government. I believe that the government is doing its best. Lagos State government under the leadership of Babajide Olusola Sanwolu is doing its best to make sure that the Entertainment Industry is well organized thereby making the creative people to get what they deserve. And this is the reason why we are creating the Lagos Tourism Ambassadors platform to help the government to support the Entertainment industry. Because the need for proper management of the entertainment sector is very very important. If you look at the contribution of entertainers in Nigeria and what they are bringing to the government, for example hotel business, I don't think there is anybody that can stay in the hotel for a long time without watching television programmes. And who are the people in charge of the television entertainment programmes? You have actors and musicians entertaining the guests in the hotels and bars making their stay comfortable. Therefore, the hotels, night clubs and bars generate money for the government and in turn the government does business with them. So, there is the need for the government and the entertainment industry to continue to support more creative works from the creative people and this will help the Tourism Industry. Because the only positive thing the world knows about Nigeria apart from the Boko Haram and the Bandits is the Entertainment Industry. So, there is the need for the state governments and the government at the center to explore this by investing in Entertainment industry. The investment should be directed towards the lives of the entertainers themselves in order to boost the Entertainment industry.
Q: How far have you gone in terms of efforts to make this idea a reality? Because a dream can only become a reality if it is adopted by the people being sold to.
A: Yes, thank you very much. I thank God for the Lagos State government because in the year 2020, precisely around November, I wrote a letter to the Governor of Lagos state, (Mr capacity himself) Babajide Olusola Sanwolu in respect of the plan to organize and synergize the Nigerian Entertainment industry and fortunately for me, he directed that I should be contacted. I was contacted and at the Ministry of Tourism, we had our presentation on the Lagos State Tourism Ambassadors Award which I did successfully well. The ministry adopted it and I was given an endorsement letter in respect of the project which has furthermore encouraged and strengthened my belief in the plan to host the Lagos state Tourism Ambassadors Awards this year 2022. The Lagos state Ambassadors Tourism Award is a multifaceted event which has been created to activate the Tourism Industry in Lagos state. As you rightly know, 55 members of the entertainment community will be engaged to promote Lagos state Tourism and as well promote the Lagos state government. These 55 members are in different categories which are namely VVIP, (VERY VERY IMPORTANT PERSONALITY) VIP, (VERY IMPORTANT PERSONALITY) SUPERSTARS and STARS categories. Each and everyone of them will be on ground everywhere promoting the Lagos state Tourism because what I have come to understand is that the crude oil which the country is being proud of today will finish one day while the Entertainment industry and Tourism industry will continue to boom and flourish forever. And that's what my proposal is all about. We need to invest in the promotion of our creative industry as well as Tourism Industry because Nigeria as a country is a great country. Thank God, so many of our brothers and sisters have been taken abroad, especially to the Caribbean. And many of them are willing to come back home to see the land of their forefathers. They will come and socialize with their brothers and sisters separated from many years ago. So, this is to the advantage of this great country in terms of Tourism. What we need to do is to organize events that will make these people to be interested in coming home to their fatherland. The Lagos State Tourism Ambassadors Awards is going to be a yearly event that will honour a lot of our brothers and sisters who have been taken abroad as slaves and they would be made to come back home to develop their ancestral home. The entertainment sector is progressing and our brothers and sisters in the industry are supporting this noble project.
Q: By the way, who are the 55 artists that make up the community for the Lagos state Tourism Ambassadors Award?
A: Thank you for that beautiful question. Thank God almost fifty percent of the best of the best people in the entertainment industry in Africa reside in Lagos and they are part of this project. Burna Boy (Grammy award winner) is involved with this project. We also have Wiz Kid, Davido, Tiwa Savage, Yemi Alade, Simi etc. All these guys are our GLOBAL BRANDS and we are reaching out to them to use their platforms to promote Lagos state to the whole world. Just like I said earlier on, we have four categories of these entertainers namely VVIP (Very Very Important Personalities) VIP, (Very Important Personalities) SUPERSTARS AND STARS. At the VIP level, there are five of them while we have ten and fifteen in other categories respectively. We are reaching out to all sectors like actors, musicians, comedians, deejays who will all be part of the Ambassadors Award. The project is massive and it is bringing all the stakeholders together and on board.
Q: Mr Sanusi Ahmadu, I can see that this project will be a much talked about event in Lagos state, Nigeria and in the whole world for a long time. How do you plan to handle this?
A: You're right. The Nigerian man is a global citizen. There is nowhere in the world that you will not find the Nigerian man there. When we are talking about the African Americans, the Americans and the Africans, you will at least see a Nigerian in every four Africans anywhere in the world. So, Nigeria is the heartbeat of Africa. The Lagos state Tourism Ambassadors Award is going to become a global project which will become a global event that the whole world is looking forward to. When we commence, the whole world will know that Lagos state is the place to be. Lagos state is the place to come and spend your money because in terms of the best hotel accommodation in the world, the state has got it all. When you're looking for the best resorts, they are here in Lagos. In terms of restaurants, Lagos state has the best of them all. Lagos state is the melting point of Nigeria. To cap it all, Lagos state is the melting point of Africa. Everybody is here because If you're in Nigeria and you've not been to Lagos, you have not been anywhere! This is the best destination to host such laudable project. Lagos state is the best destination for tourism.
Q: I can see that you are in high spirit for this project. With this, I can attest to the fact the Shana Show Global Enterprise is really ready for this. Let's digress a bit, you are a young man with this beautiful idea, has it not crossed your mind that you're thinking for the government?
A: Exactly, but if you really understand the meaning of government, you will realize that the term "government" is you and I. It is the people that constitute the government. The civil servants working in the government on our behalf are our servants. Most of the time, the civil servants are constrained to come up with right ideas because of their busy and tight schedule so there is nothing wrong in the people coming up with good ideas to assist them. I believe feeding them with good ideas will indirectly affect us too positively. This idea came up to me after the ENDSARS Protest. I asked myself what is the reason for this? I realized that the system didn't do what they ought to have done. I also realized that the government did not do what they should have been doing by properly managing the entertainment industry. Now, we are presenting a plan which is the beginning of the bigger plan to come. The Lagos Tourism Project with the Lagos State Tourism Ambassadors Awards will have the Lagos Tourism Ambassadors carnival Trains across the 20 local governments in Lagos state. The carnival trains will have all the stars in open head buses and open flat trucks with music. Beautiful and colourful dancers across the 20 local governments will also be on board performing. So, if you are a company or you have a brand product, this is an opportunity to come and work with us and promote your brand across the Lagos state which is the most populated state in West Africa. We are inviting the corporate bodies and the manufacturers alike to come and partner with us in order to promote their goods and services on this big platform.
Q: In a nutshell, you are sending an invitation to the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) to come and partner with the Lagos state Tourism Ambassadors Award to promote their products. Isn't it?
A: Yes of course, our awarded ambassadors will take care of the promotions for them. Because with our ambassadors, a massive outdoor media will be put in place. Our outdoor media includes printing on BRT buses across Lagos state of Nigeria. Meridians and signboards across Lagos state. When you come on board, we are going to make sure that all your products and services are visible to all and sundry in Lagos state.
Q: This is a very huge event. Can this upcoming project be likened to FESTAC?
A: All I can say is that this event is going to be an updated version of FESTAC because the 55 members of Lagos state Tourism Ambassadors Award will be on ground. Every major entertainer will make his or her presence felt on that day because this is a Lagos state government endorsed event. For you to become our ambassador is a plus to your carrier because we have had a discussion with people like Sir Shina Peters, Koffi Daguru, Tunji Sotimirin, Yinka Davies, Yemi Solade, Ali Baba, Obessere, King Wasiu Ayinde Marshall, etc who have all been endorsed by us. And they have already received their certificates of endorsement. We have worked hard to get to this point and we are ready to start very soon. So, we are once again calling and urging all the corporate bodies and individuals to come and support us because this is a very big reality.
Q: Conclusively Mr Shanusi Hamadu, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. Do you relax at all? If yes, how do you relax?
A: Yes my brother, I relax. I do catch fun when the need arises. Yesterday, I attended an event and chilled out to grab fun. But the reality is that a good relaxation will come when we are done with this beautiful project by the grace of God. For now, we are on our toes to make a dream come true. You know that this project is not a day job and we want it to materialize in this year 2022 by the grace of God. This is the year of the Lagos state Tourism Ambassadors Award and I say a big Amen to it. Very soon you will start seeing people coming from nukes and crannies of the world to Lagos for our upcoming great event.
Q: Mr Shanusi Hamadu, are you married?
A: Yes, I am married to my project. I want to make sure I get things right before dabbling into marriage. The reality is that the Lagos State Tourism Ambassadors Award is our wife for now.
It has been nice chatting with you!
Mr Sanusi Hamadu is a veteran in the music industry, a music promoter and entrepreneur. Shana Show Global is the official promoter of the Lagos Tourism Ambassadors Award coming up very soon later in the year.
Thank you all!
By Olalekan Oduntan Copyrights: © 2022
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