Going by the pronouncements of the Lagos State Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mrs. Uzamat Akinbile-Yussuf, work at the John Randle Centre for Yoruba Culture and History at Onikan, Lagos would soon be completed.
The commissioner said the Lagos State government was eager to complete the ongoing re-construction of the J.Randle Centre, a proposed one-stop Centre for Tourism and Cultural activities, located in Onikan on Lagos Island.
She spoke during a recent on-the-spot assessment of construction works, alongside the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Princess Adenike Adedoyin-Ajayi, as well as other principal officials of the Ministry.
Akinbile-Yussuf said: “We are here to inspect this huge project that has been embarked upon by the State Government. I am glad to report that we met the contractor and the consultants at the site trying to ensure the quick delivery of this project”.
While underscoring the commitment of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to the project, the Commissioner disclosed that Mr. Governor recently led a delegation to the United Kingdom to firm up arrangements for the completion of the J. Randle Centre.
She said: “A few weeks ago, we were in the United Kingdom with Mr. Governor in relation to the Phase II of this project, which is actually going on well. The completion stage of this phase is well over 80 per cent and I am confident that this project will be delivered by early 2022”.
“The J. Randle Centre is where history is going to be unveiled again in Lagos State and for Africa as a whole, being the first-of-its-kind in Africa. We want members of the Public to visit this site and see the history and the beautiful culture of the Yoruba and their heritage”, the Commissioner averred.
She explained that the second phase of the J. Randle Centre is the technology part, the museum, the artefacts and everything that has to do with the content, adding that the Centre will bring to memory, the way the Yorubas lived in the past, portray the present and also explain what will become of the Yoruba race in few decades.
On her part, the Permanent Secretary, Princess Adenike Adedoyin-Ajayi, disclosed that the State Government has concluded arrangements to repatriate some historical artworks and artefacts, among others, that are of historical value to the Yoruba race from the United Kingdom.
“When all of these artefacts are brought back here, one of the things that will be of great attraction is the fact that there is a museum in place that we can put these artworks and take ownership of as Yorubas”, the Permanent Secretary said.
