The governor said reconstruction work on the centre is expected to be completed before the end of the year.
The Lagos State Government on Thursday inaugurated the
Board of Trustees (BoT) for the J.K. Randle Centre for Yoruba Culture and
History to restore the lost glory of the centre.
Speaking during the inauguration ceremony in Lagos House,
Ikeja, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who is the Chairman of the Board, pledged
to make the centre a critical reference point for Yoruba culture and arts.
Mr Sanwo-Olu said the seven-member board was set up to
revive tourism and engender cultural renaissance in Lagos.
The board comprised four government officials and three
professionals from the private sector.
He said the constitution of the Trustees was imperative,
given the near completion of the reconstruction work on the centre located at
Onikan area of the state.
The centre, originally built in 1928, used to serve as a hub for cultural tourism, recreation and entertainment. Its reconstruction started in 2018.
The governor said his administration’s commitment toward
bringing the centre back to life remained unshaken as the government had set
the completion deadline for the contractor handling the reconstruction work.
“I take up this opportunity to serve as the chairman of
the Board of Trustees of the J.K. Randle Centre for Yoruba Culture and History
with a sense of responsibility.
“I assure stakeholders in the Arts, Culture and Tourism ecosystem that we will do everything to ensure that the centre becomes a reference point, not only for Yoruba culture and arts, but also brings back the old glory of Lagos culture.
“We are expecting the reconstruction work on the centre
to be completed before the end of the year.
“That is why it is important to have a Board of Trustees
to run the institution and take it to the level where the centre will be second
to none in the documentation of Yoruba history and culture,” he said.
Mr Sanwo-Olu said the state government was already in discussion with arts and culture organisations and professionals.
He said that discussions were on with the National
Museum, British Museum and private Arts collectors on the availability of
compendiums and collection of works documenting the rich history of Yoruba and
their arts in the centre.
According to him, the revival of the centre will
reinvigorate tourism in the state, as the board will engage both local and
international players in arts and culture in conversations that will make the
centre realise its mandate.
‘“We are not leaving anything behind to ensure the J.K.
Randle centre becomes an international destination for local and foreign
tourists to learn about old and contemporary cultural heritage of the Yoruba.
“The centre is sited on a location that is accessible and
it provides the ambience for people to learn.
“The building of the centre also fits into our overall global objective in Arts, Culture and Tourism.
“We recently launched our 20-year Arts and Tourism master plan and delivering the centre will help bring our strategy to making Lagos a tourism destination a reality,” he said.
According to Mr Sanwo-Olu, the inclusion of private
sector players in the board is to provide a robust platform for engagement that
will put the centre on the world map.
The Lagos State Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and
Culture, Uzamat Akinbile-Yussuf, presented the board members to the governor
and urged them to justify their appointments.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the
Secretary to the State Government, Folashade Jaji, is the Vice Chairman of the
board, while the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and
Culture, Adenike Adedoyin-Ajayi is the Secretary.
Other members include Olubunmi Osiewu (Treasurer), Polly Alakija, Euzebio Damazio and Abdul-Rafiu Adewale.
0 Comments