The state governor appoints trustees for the Yoruba History Center, vowing to restore Lagos heritage.

During his inauguration of the board of trustees for the J.K. Randle Centre for Yoruba Culture and History on Thursday, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu reiterated his pledge to bring back the long-lost glory of the center, saying, “I will restore the greatness of the J.K. Randle Centre for Yoruba Culture and History.”

Lagos is one of seven districts that make up the state of Lagos in Nigeria, and the governor of the district is the chairman of the Board. The Board consists of four officials from the government and three business sector professionals.

The BoT members were formally inaugurated, in a ceremony conducted at the State House, Alausa, at which the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, and Culture was present.

In the year 1928, the building was completed and functioned as a center for tourist, relaxation, and entertainment. The renovation of the Statue of Liberty started in 2018.

Onikan Centre (which is almost completely rebuilt) is the project that this Center’s Board Chair, Sanwo-Olu, aims to make the central reference point for Yoruba culture and arts. He emphasizes that the establishment of the Trustees is essential, given the project’s near completion.

The Governor assured the residents that the government’s commitment to restarting the Centre remained undiminished, noting the contract with the company overseeing the rebuilding had been given a date for completion.

He said, “I am honored to accept this responsibility as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the J.K. Randle Centre for Yoruba Culture and History, and I intend to honor this position by helping to improve the role of the arts, culture, and tourism in Lagos.”

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By the end of the year, we expect building work on the Centre to be finished. Because this is necessary, a Board of Trustees is required to govern the institution and to bring it to the same level as the Centre, which has documented Yoruba history and culture more extensively. There is no doubt about the commitment we have made to this project, and we are constantly checking the contractor to make sure it delivers the job on time.

Sanwo-Olu revealed that the state government was talking to organizations such as national museums, including the British Museum, and private collection owners about the availability of compendia and anthologies.
He went on to say that the Centre’s resurrection would have a major impact on the state’s tourism industry, especially because the Board has been given the right to conduct negotiations with both local and foreign participants in the arts and culture world.

He added, “To ensure the J.K. Randle Centre becomes an international cultural heritage tourism destination for both foreign and local tourists, we’re not leaving anything behind. The Centre is located on a place that is open to the public and is conducive to learning.

The construction of the Centre represents a major component of our overall plan for the Arts, Culture, and Tourism sector. Our newly published 20-year Arts and Tourism master plan calls for Lagos to be a tourist destination, and to assist us make that happen, delivering the Centre will be a great benefit.

The inclusion of private sector participants in the Board’s proceedings is intended to make the Centre prominent across the globe. Board members, in addition to their board positions, are responsible with contributing their wealth of expertise to the group.