The I Support Lagos is an initiative of Empowerment Gateway; a for-benefit organisation and an emerging fourth sector social enterprise. To find out more about us, visit our website.
Once your plans to visit Lagos are confirmed (arrival and departure dates are set, accommodations are confirmed), fill out and submit the Visit Request Form at least 4 weeks in advance of your arrival.
During the busy season (June, July and August) and holiday times (Christmas and Easter), we fill up quickly, so submit your request as early as possible to secure the right Ambassador for your needs.
During the busy season (June, July and August) and holiday times (Christmas and Easter), we fill up quickly, so submit your request as early as possible to secure the right Ambassador for your needs.
The Lagos Ambassador services are free for our visiting Registered members (VIP Welcome to Lagos Club) and their party (ranging between 4 to 6 people) during our members scheduled visit.
Nonetheless, you are expected to carry yours and your ambassador's public transport costs, museum entrance fees, and to pay for refreshments or meals. To find out more about becoming a registered and paid-up member of the VIP Welcome to Lagos Club, read this section.
If during your visit you feel that you would like to "tip" your ambassador, or if you want to make a contribution to the program, you are welcome to make that contribution at our offices (your Ambassador will take you there), where it will be greatfully received on behalf of the I Support Lagos program and you will be issued with an official receipt.
Nonetheless, you are expected to carry yours and your ambassador's public transport costs, museum entrance fees, and to pay for refreshments or meals. To find out more about becoming a registered and paid-up member of the VIP Welcome to Lagos Club, read this section.
If during your visit you feel that you would like to "tip" your ambassador, or if you want to make a contribution to the program, you are welcome to make that contribution at our offices (your Ambassador will take you there), where it will be greatfully received on behalf of the I Support Lagos program and you will be issued with an official receipt.
Your annual subscription will assist us in meeting some of the operational costs of running this program. In addition this program is also subsidised out of revenue earned from our advertisers and our local subscribers.
It requires extensive resources to handle the more than 10,000 requests a year that we are expecting, both in financial terms as well as infrastructure and human capital. We need to make sure that the right volunteer is meeting the right visitor at the right time and in the right location!
We will need 300 volunteers this year, and we expect to recruit our first 100 and 10 temporary or part-time staff to assist with program management by no later than March 2011.
This is an extensive support infrastructure and we need to generate the necessary revenue to meet operational and running expenses, such as insurance, accounting services, supplies, computer maintenance, internet access, web hosting and maintenance, postage, office equipment leases, printing, uniforms, stipends and salaries.
To be successful, and because this program is totaly self-funded and not dependent on grants and donations from government we are dependent on all contributions made to the program, be it as VIP Club memberships or our partners marketing contributions.
In order to cover part of these expenses, we ask that you please join our VIP Welcome to Lagos Club as a member; so that the Lagos Ambassadors can operate efficiently in meeting up with visitors from all over the world and offer them a high quality and enjoyable experience.
It requires extensive resources to handle the more than 10,000 requests a year that we are expecting, both in financial terms as well as infrastructure and human capital. We need to make sure that the right volunteer is meeting the right visitor at the right time and in the right location!
We will need 300 volunteers this year, and we expect to recruit our first 100 and 10 temporary or part-time staff to assist with program management by no later than March 2011.
This is an extensive support infrastructure and we need to generate the necessary revenue to meet operational and running expenses, such as insurance, accounting services, supplies, computer maintenance, internet access, web hosting and maintenance, postage, office equipment leases, printing, uniforms, stipends and salaries.
To be successful, and because this program is totaly self-funded and not dependent on grants and donations from government we are dependent on all contributions made to the program, be it as VIP Club memberships or our partners marketing contributions.
In order to cover part of these expenses, we ask that you please join our VIP Welcome to Lagos Club as a member; so that the Lagos Ambassadors can operate efficiently in meeting up with visitors from all over the world and offer them a high quality and enjoyable experience.
Matches are made according to the neighbourhoods/sites and theme preferences as requested by the visitor. When possible, visitors’ special interests and languages are also taken into consideration. Whenever possible, allowances are also made to accommodate disabilities.
In most cases, a match will be made before you embark on your journey; we will email you the necessary information about your Ambassador, the meeting venue and time of meeting.
If a match is only made after you have left on your journey to Lagos, we will contact you telephonically as soon as possible after your arrival in Lagos, at your hotel/accommodation venue with the information. This information will be in any case be forwared to you via e-mail as soon as the match is established and the information is available.
It is though imperative that you furnish us with the telephonic details of your accomodation venue in Lagos at the time of booking your Ambassador.
If a match is only made after you have left on your journey to Lagos, we will contact you telephonically as soon as possible after your arrival in Lagos, at your hotel/accommodation venue with the information. This information will be in any case be forwared to you via e-mail as soon as the match is established and the information is available.
It is though imperative that you furnish us with the telephonic details of your accomodation venue in Lagos at the time of booking your Ambassador.
Unfortunately, no. The VIP Welcome to Lagos program is expected to receive many more visitor requests than we will be able to fill, so sometimes no Ambassador will be available for a visitor.
During the busy times of year the visit date you ask in your booking, for may already be filled. You will receive an email or telephone call from us with our regrets that no Ambassador is available for you on that date. We will endeavor to accommodate you on any other day close to the date you requested.
During the busy times of year the visit date you ask in your booking, for may already be filled. You will receive an email or telephone call from us with our regrets that no Ambassador is available for you on that date. We will endeavor to accommodate you on any other day close to the date you requested.
Although, we have an extensive catalog of interesting places described in the website, there are just too many places in Lagos to list absolutely all at this stage!
If you do not have a preference, choose the “Ambassador’s Choice” and leave it up to your Ambassador to select and suggest the best match to your areas of interest.
If you do not have a preference, choose the “Ambassador’s Choice” and leave it up to your Ambassador to select and suggest the best match to your areas of interest.
We require a local telephone number with voice mail so that the I Support Lagos VIP Welcome office or the assigned Ambassador can call you and, if necessary, leave a message you will get quickly and reliably.
- This phone number must be the phone number of the accommodation or a local (Portuguese) cell phone.
- Our telephone policy was created to help visitors and Ambassadors meet and interact efficiently and reliably with each other.
- The visitors are advised to call the Ambassador or the VIP Welcome to Lagos office after arriving in Lagos, to confirm their arrival and to review the details of their visit.
- Telephone contact before the visit can make the difference between a fun filled experience and disappointment.
- Apartment rental agency phone numbers are not accepted. Rental agencies are not message centres and will not accept the responsibility of taking a message or giving the message to the visitor.
- International mobile phone numbers are not accepted. While the telephone and visitor are in Lagos, the telephone call remains international. We do not require of our Ambassadors to incur the costs of expensive international calls. Some Ambassadors cannot make international calls from home or mobile phones.
- Email messages are accepted so long as you copy your message to the official program contact e-mail given to you.
- Text messages are not accepted. Some service providers may not accept text messages from other and/or international providers and this can result in messages not being delivered.
- When Ambassador and visitors miss each other due to communication constraints, everyone is left disappointed and a wonderful opportunity to interact and experience Lagos at a new level, is lost.
- By insisting on reliable telephone contact through local (Portuguese) telephone numbers, we are helping to ensure a successful visit.
Afraid not! Since we expect to experience a lot of demand from visitors for this service, we respectfully request that you book only one visit during your stay.
An Ambassador becomes a new friend and shows you around the way a friend would. You will talk about what it is like to live in Lagos, learn how to use public transportation, find out about the Ambassador’s favourite restaurants, shops and locations. In turn, the Ambassador gets to know you.
An Ambassador is not a professional, licensed tour guide, and may not have historic or tourist information about a landmark or location. An Ambassador’s knowledge of Lagos is his personal knowledge gained from living and working in the city.
An Ambassador is not a professional, licensed tour guide, and may not have historic or tourist information about a landmark or location. An Ambassador’s knowledge of Lagos is his personal knowledge gained from living and working in the city.
An Ambassador visit is informal, unscripted and does not follow a pre-set itinerary as a public walking tour would. During the Ambassador visit, if the Ambassador thinks of something the visitors might like to see or do, then they have the opportunity to quickly change plans and go in a different direction!
Visitors often ask to see “the less touristy places” in Lagos. Ambassadors and visitors will then go off the beaten tourist path to other areas where Lagos people live and work; places where many visitors never think of going!
Visitors often ask to see “the less touristy places” in Lagos. Ambassadors and visitors will then go off the beaten tourist path to other areas where Lagos people live and work; places where many visitors never think of going!
Ambassadors are not shared among groups. When an Ambassador is matched with you or your group, the Ambassador will meet only you and your group.
Ambassadors are not professional tour guides, and we are unable to accept groups of 7 people or more.
Larger groups that split up and submit separate requests are also not allowed.
For groups of 7 or more, please contact the appropriate tour guides.
Larger groups that split up and submit separate requests are also not allowed.
For groups of 7 or more, please contact the appropriate tour guides.
Hostel and YMCA guest rooms do not have telephones. The front desk will take a message from an Ambassador and the Lagos Ambassador office. These messages are posted to a public message board.
It is very important to check the message board frequently for possible messages from your Lagos Ambassador!
It is very important to check the message board frequently for possible messages from your Lagos Ambassador!
Lagos Ambassadors do not offer scheduled tours that are open to the general public.
Every Ambassador visit is unique; there are no pre-set itineraries, theme tours or scheduled start times.
Every Ambassador visit is unique; there are no pre-set itineraries, theme tours or scheduled start times.
No. The VIP Welcome to Lagos program is an initiative of Empowerment Gateway community development and sustainability project "I Support Lagos" within the "I Support my Community" program. Empowerment Gateway and all its initiatives are an independent, for benefit organisation; a fourth sector social enterprise.
These programs are totaly self-funded and are not dependent on grants and donations, in spite of it being a 4th Sector hybrid structured Social Enterprise. All activities are funded out of our commercial operations which include memberships, advertising fees, sponsorships and merchandising.
No. We do have full time as well as part-time employees that receive either a salary or stipends.
For more information about replicating this model in your community, contact either
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or
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, the founders of Empowerment Gateway by e-mail.
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