Bayelsa to promote tourism through jazz festival, says DG

 

Mrs Bizi Ndiomu-Brown, Director General (DG) Bayelsa State Tourism Development Agency, at the Media briefing of the forthcoming Bayelsa Jazz music Festival.

 

Mrs Bizi Ndiomu-Brown, Director General (DG) Bayelsa State Tourism Development Agency, (R) and The Vice President, Silverbird Group, Guy Murray-Bruce, (L) the co-sponsors of the Jazz Festival, at the Media briefing of the forthcoming Bayelsa Jazz music Festival.

 

 

The Chief Executive Officer, Inspiro Productions, Ayoola Sadare, the initiator of the Jazz Festival, at the Lagos Jazz Hole, Ikoyi, Lagos addressing the Media.

 

Jazz band entertaining guests and Media at the briefing

Festival

Lagos, Nov. 18, 2013. Mrs Bizi Ndiomu-Brown, Director General (DG) Bayelsa State Tourism Development Agency says the state needs a platform to develop and sustain its tourism potentials.

Ndiomu-Brown spoke while briefing journalists in Lagos on Monday on the forthcoming Bayelsa jazz music festival coming up in Yenagoa on the Dec. 7.

``Promotion of tourism should be done through various forms of festivals.

"This is why we are using Jazz music festival to provide the needed ambience for the promotion of sustainable and responsible tourism potentials in the state," she said.

According to her, jazz music or any other genres of music was part of tourism development to make people aware of what Nigeria could offer in terms of arts, culture and tourism.

``We are involved in this project because music generally provides a veritable platform for the achievement of our set objectives.

``Bayelsa International Jazz Festival will open the doors to tourists and jazz music enthusiasts to savour the beauty and serenity that we enjoy in Bayelsa State,” the DG said.

Ndiomu-Brown said that when visitors came to Bayelsa because of the jazz festival, there would also be several other offerings for them to enjoy.

``Besides the jazz music festival in Bayelsa State; our cardinal objective is to make people come and see our aquatic nature.

"We also want them to know the areas to key into for business and for them to relax," she said.

Ndiomu-Brown said that Governor Seriake Dickson wanted the state to develop alternative sources of revenue generation for the state as well.

``As a visionary leader, Dickson is looking beyond the present oil revenue sources to more sustainable sources of income generation like tourism and agriculture.

``The choice of tourism is deliberate given our rich cultural heritage and beautiful topography.

``We are proud of our festivals and exquisite beaches that are spread across the state. We are in the forefront of championing a new wave in responsible tourism development,” she said.

The Chief Executive Officer, Inspiro Productions, Ayoola Sadare who is the consultant for the event said that jazz needed to be promoted in Nigeria alongside other genres of music.

``We also want youths to be involved in jazz as it is inspirational and it matures the mind.

``They can also infuse jazz with any other music and it flows to the listening of other people.

``We are aiming at promoting jazz all over Nigeria and bringing in people from other climes to blend with ours,” Sadare said.