The Chairman, Africa Renaissance Arts Foundation (AREFO), Mr Olaide Mesiwaku, said the scope of the Badagry Cultural Folks Festival would be expanded to accommodate other West African countries.

Mesiwaku told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos during the week that the festival, an annual event, would assume a new dimension in 2010.

"Badagry Cultural FolkS Festival will go international in the coming year to include performers from countries like Benin Republic, Togo and Ghana," he said.

NAN reports that the organisers of Badagry Cultural Folks Festival are promoting the event to develop the Tourism potential that abound in the area.

The AREFO chief said apart from hosting events like sangbeto, santo and water sports in different communities, Santo festival in subsequent years would be restricted to either Akarakumo or Ikoga.

He said that at the next edition of the festival, awards would be presented to deserving indigenes of Badagry, who have contributed to tourism development in the last 10 years.

"Also, we are presenting an ultimate award to Gov. Babatunde Fashola for his contributions to tourism development in Lagos State and Badagry in particular," he said. Mesiwaku said that the festival would be rounded up with a command Performance and Paper Presentations on the slave trade.