Interview

Rivers State Is An Untapped Tourism Site- Omolola Toluwalase

Omolola Toluwalase is an actor, producer, event planner, red carpet host and the current PRO of ACTORS GUILD NEED of nigeria rivers state chapter.

In this interview with Eric Olusesan, she talks about her growing up, career and tourism potentials of the treasure base of Nigeria, rivers state.

How did acting career begin?

I started with stage productions back in my secondary school days, but my journey in Nollywood was accidental.

My friend Lilian Imilar, who was a producer, wanted to produce her own movie, and she asked me to rehearse with her, while rehearsing, she said my God, you can act. So, that was how I got a role in her movie, the rest as they say is history now.

Aside acting what else do you do for a living?

I am a producer, event planner and host of red carpets event.

How do you rate entertainment industry in Rivers state?

Wow!!! I must say it has dropped compared to the level where it was before.

Cuts in… How do you mean with the state government’s sponsorship of various events in recent past?

The success of entertainment industry in a state or a country is not solely the responsibility of the government, theirs is to provide a secured environment.

Hollywood, the various fashion week organised in various countries, even Las Vegas was not set up by their government.

It’s a secured environment, people who know about the industry, the benefits, and this includes the media that synergize together to sell the industry.

I am not saying that the state government should be ruled out, but sighting Hollywood as an example, individuals got together and made Hollywood what it is today and the government got involved and knowing the sort of tax generated from the sector, the government goes extra mile to see that the structure work. It’s basically a give and take thing.

As an entertainer, how do you blend entertainment and tourism together to promote the image of Rivers state?

Any time people hear the word tourism, what comes to their mind is entertainment but let me shock you or people reading this interview, tourism is the only industry that deals with every facet of our lives and all other industries. There is religious tourism, educational tourism, etc. So it is not just entertainment alone.

As an entertainer, blending the industry with tourism in rivers state, there isn’t much my colleague and I can do reaching out to the global world because that is where we should be reaching out to. This is where a synergy with government works, those in the industry and the media need to come together with one voice that the state is safe and secured for various businesses. I remembered when President Obama said, the state is not conducive for business and the government kept mute. This led to massive exodus from the state which include even fellow Nigerians relocating outside Rivers state. Tell me which country does not have gangsters? I think it’s time for Rivers state government to refute that statement because it has affected every industry in this state. Tourism wise, Rivers state is an untapped state, it’s got lot of beautiful things not yet seen by the world from the culture, to food, dance, etc. I think the just concluded NAFEST festival showed a bit of the tourism potentials of Rivers state.

What fond memories of growing up do you still have?

Funny enough, Growing up for me was in festac town in Lagos state. I grew up admiring flowers and planting some in our house because I love nature a lot, that’s another untapped resource in our tourism system, eco tourism. Anyway that’s one of my fond memories.