The Lagos State Government has promised to leverage medical wellness as one of the platforms for drawing the attention of both local and international tourists to communities Lagos State.

While addressing a Press Conference on Lagos State Mental Health Month and Eko Wellness Fair, held in Lagos on Tuesday, the Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mrs. Uzamat Akinbile-Yussuf said that the Ministry decided to partner the organiser of the event as a way of deepening awareness about medical wellness and making it a vehicle to promote tourism activities.

Akinbile-Yussuf mentioned that the initiative aligned with the ‘Wellness Tourism’ segment of the State’s Tourism Master Plan developed by the Ministry to provide a pathway for sustainable tourism activities in the State.

She said: “The importance of Wellness Tourism cuts across all nations of the world, because Wellness Tourism attracts tourists from developed and developing nations, it increases the economy of not only the developed countries but also developing nations like ours”.

Speaking on the focus of the event, the Commissioner averred that the need to pay cursory attention to mental health globally cannot be overemphasised, considering the devastating effects of the ravaging Coronavirus and its attendant effects on the mental wellbeing of the populace.

Noting that unlike in the developed climes where mental wellness is considered a normal phenomenon, Mrs. Akinbile-Yussuf decried the unwillingness of most Nigerians to come to terms with the reality of their mental state of health and seek timely medical attention.

On her part, the initiator and Project Manager of the Eko Wellness Fair who is also a Holistic Wellness Coach, Oyin Talabi said, “The events of 2020 to date have tested our physical immunity, mental resilience and faith in ways we still do not fully comprehend. Although Nigerians and Africans at large are not falling sick physically as predicted by international health indices, we are falling sick mentally”.

She maintained that the incidents of mental health crisis are rapidly and steadily rising among all demographics in Nigeria, considering several issues which the residents are left to contend with daily, particularly among the working class.

While quoting the 2017 World Health Organisation report, which revealed that one in four Nigerians suffer from some sort of mental health disorder, the Convener of Eko Wellness Fair described the figure as alarming and a development that needs urgent attention.

“This is why the theme for the 6th edition of the Eko Wellness Fair is “My Mental Health Matters: For Our Collective Prosperity”, she asserted.

According to her, the fair is part of the Lagos State Mental Health Month for May organised by the State Ministry of Health and will hold virtually from 1st of May to the 7th of May, 2021 on all social media handles of Eko Wellness Fair.

She explained that the virtual fair includes workshops by high-level Nigerian Psychotherapists and Holistic Wellness Practitioners, cooking demonstrations of healthier food alternatives, art and therapy stimulations and online shopping of healthy foods and lifestyle products by proudly Nigerian businesses.

Talabi, urged interested persons to attend the fair by visiting www.ekowellness.net to register or join the live sessions on Facebook and Youtube pages @ekowellnessfair.

She appreciated the State Government for partnering with her organisation on the initiative and acknowledging the roles of Tourism Wellness in enhancing the development of domestic tourism.