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The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Monday, officially declared the museum in the J Randle Centre for Yoruba Heritage and Culture in Onikan open for public use.
The museum, which exhibits historical, artistic and cultural artefacts of the Yoruba, is a key component of the centre, which was inaugurated last year.
Sanwo-Olu also appointed Qudus Onikeku as the Director of the centre.
Speaking at an interactive session with creative stakeholders at J Randle Centre, Onikan, Lagos, the governor said the state remained the centrepiece of tourism and had the potential for music, film, art and culture in Africa.
Sanwo-Olu also said his administration would create an enabling environment for all stakeholders to thrive in the private sector, stressing more efforts to bring out creativity and signposting Lagos as a destination for tourism, art and culture on the continent.
The governor said, “We need to bring back that inheritance and we must all ensure that we work with everyone that has access for us to bring it back so that we can now leave a rich cultural heritage for the next generation.
“This museum will now be a historic site that will talk about our history and culture, so JRandle is our attempt at bringing back that heritage and showcasing it to the world.”
He stressed the need to ensure the repatriation of Yoruba inheritance towards building the heritage and bringing the past, present and future into one location.
Sanwo-Olu, who berated the rejection of speaking the local dialect in schools which, according to him, was the beginning of the problem, stressed that the significance of the JRandle Centre was strategic to the historical connection of Nigeria.
The Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Toke Benson-Awoyinka, noted that the opening of the museum was an indication of the unwavering commitment of Lagos State to preserve and promote the invaluable history and traditions of the Yoruba people.
The commissioner said the centre would serve as a beacon of knowledge, highlighting the profound contributions of the Yoruba ancestors and the enduring spirit of the rich culture as the centre was designed to foster a deep sense of connection and pride among all who visit.
The centre is currently playing host to the maiden edition of the Afropolis Lagos Festival, an international festival of arts, creativity and innovation, which kicked off on October 26 and is expected to end on November 3, 2024.
