In the final weeks of December 2020, the Lagos State government announced an unforeseen lockdown due to the sudden surge in Coronavirus cases in the state. To a considerable extent,this announcement watered down the excitement sweeping across the state as recreational activities like major celebrity concerts, launches and club parties had to immediately come to a halt. Suddenly, the Detty December was not looking so dirty anymore.
At a result of this, some entertainers and event organisers were able to identify an opportunity in hosting such events in Oyo State. Currently, Oyo state is not under any form of lockdown and official statements on the prohibition of events due to the pandemic are yet to be released.
It is common knowledge that in the world of Nigerian entertainment, Lagos state is the hub and can be easily equated to the glamorous Americanstate of Los Angeles. When there are major events in the country, people always want to endeavour to make it down to Lagos from their various states to participate, especially during the Christmas and New Year festivities but the tables have turned. In the absence of harsh and restrictive COVID-19 laws, this shift has presented some level of opportunity for Oyo State, more specifically— Ibadan.
Firstly, it boosts the city’s tourism profile. In the yesteryears, Ibadan was perceived as a purely indigenous area with no brink of modernity in sight. This notion has put many people off from visiting the city. Fast forwarding to this current age, the progress that Ibadan has been able to achieve with the rebranding of its image is massively visible. Staging star-studded mega events here means a higher influx of visitors who get to experience the calmer ambience of our city which in turn boosts revenue for businesses on all scales due to higher patronage.
Secondly, it enhances collaboration with our local entertainers. If key celebrities and entertainers from Lagos decide to perform their shows within Oyo State, this highlights an opportunity for them to collaborate with Oyo entertainers. This is a mutually beneficial link-up because to some level, Lagos artistes may need Oyo stars to divert their fans towards their events while Oyo entertainers also get to enjoy the exposure that the high profile of Lagos celebrities offers.
While these central reasons sound very promising to the promotion of Oyo tourism and culture across cities in Nigeria and the world at large, there are also some massive health risks involved.
The possibility of a surge in Oyo COVID-19 cases is very solid. With more people being transported between states, it is very likely that a good number of these travellers may be carriers of the virus, hence putting state citizens at risk. This does not negate the fact that the virus could still be contracted intra-state but it is definitely a major point to consider, especially with the lack of adequate and sufficient medical facilities in the state and the country as a whole. This raises important questions — should the state government put in strict laws prohibiting events in place or are there other options to safeguard ourselves while endeavouring in recreational activities which call for a mass gathering?
At this point, these cogent questions would have to be thoroughly thought through by state governments, event organisers, entertainers and other parties involved do as to avoid an uncontrollable health crisis in our state and beyond.
Adetola Wahab is a youth corps member, writing from Ibadan.
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