Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has said the world is in love with street slangs that emanate from Lagos because of Nigerian mainstream musicians.
Speaking at the United Nations World Tourism Organisation event in Lagos on Wednesday, Osinbajo hailed singers like Kizz Daniel, Burna Boy and Asake for making Nigeria proud with their overseas exploit.
He also commended UNWTO for the way it handled tourism despite the COVID-19 pandemic.
He said, “Before the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, 1 out of 10 jobs worldwide depended on tourism. The aggregate of international tourist arrivals reached 1.5 billion people as of early 2020.
“Tourism is possibly the most profound unifier, the greatest eye-opener and helps visitors understand other people and respect their cultures, their creativity and wisdom.
“When you hear the proverbs of the Kikiyus of Kenya or the Fulahs of Guinea, you quickly recognise the richness of their ancestry and the nobility of their thoughts and ideas.
Osinbajo hails Kizz Daniel, Burna Boy, Asake
On the impact of Nigerian singers, Osinbajo said, “Music is a global language, even people who don’t know the meaning of the word of a song enjoy the rhythm and some find out meaning of lyrics, discovering the cultures and ideas that inspired them.
“Today, Nigerian music rendered in Nigerian languages is played all over the world. People are dancing to Kizz Daniel’s Buga. The phrase “Buga Won” is a Yoruba expression which means flaunt your hard-won success.
“Many all over the world are squaring up their shoulders, saying it doesn’t matter how hard it may seem, let me see you dance and show off your success no matter how small it may seem to others, Buga Won!
“Kizz Daniel will be performing the song at Qatar World Cup in a few days.
“Burna Boy, a Nigerian Afrobeat star performed in front of 70,000 people in Finland, at Finland’s Flow Festival, 2022. Singing songs like “Last Last, e don cast, na everybody go chop breakfast” in pidgin English to a cheering Scandinavian audience is the power of music.
“A Nigerian artist, Asake who sings in pidgin, sang the song Organize. The lyrics: “Organize, every other day I organize, some of us are wise, every other person overwise”. Now, these are street slangs in Lagos, but the world loves it and his show at O2 Arena sold out in 5mins.
“How about technology, will virtual visits & tours in the wake of the metaverse kill human interaction? Or can we turn virtual reality into an advantage for tourism? So many questions and I am sure the gathering of tourism experts and players will begin the process of finding answers.
“I must commend @UNWTO for the admirable way it guided the industry in the bleak months of the pandemic. I must also commend the Secretary-General of UNWTO, Mr. Zurab Pololikashvili and his team for partnering with Nigeria to host this conference and for choosing Nigeria as a platform to showcase African culture.
“It is symbolic that the conference which focuses in rebuilding and restarting tourism is being held at our rebuilt National Arts Theatre.”
