It was accolades by all and sundry, at the launch of the new National Museum by the government of Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State on March 6, 2017.
The event which took place at the Grand Ball Room, Eko Hotel & Suites, Victoria Island, witnessed the crème of art and culture industry, royal fathers and representatives from the three tiers of government.
This happened only few weeks after the governor announced his state’s partnership with the federal government to revamp the National Theatre and National Stadium, giving credence to the governor’s campaign promise of Tourism, Hospitality, Entertainment and Sporting Excellence (T.H.E.S.E ).
In working the talks, many see Ambode as helping in the diversification of the economy and giving life to some of the nation’s heritage in comatose.
Not only is the National Museum, located in Onikan, Lagos, experiencing a facelift, it is being annexed by a massive multi-purpose edifice and a modern tourism hub.
According to the governor, it is important not only to revisit the country’s history but to also preserve and protect the history and historical artifacts.
He said: “In many places, museums are a vital part of the tourism promotion industry, thereby creating economic opportunities for the government and the people. With all these in mind and our strong desire to develop the tourism industry in our state, the Lagos State government has taken the project to revive the museum in Onikan, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, especially with the honourable Minister Alhaji Lai Mohammed.”
He commended stakeholders for their role in promoting and sustaining Nigeria’s heritage through their works, saying; “In this room today, we have the custodians of the Nigerian culture and tradition. We also have other stakeholders and people, who are interested in preserving the heritage of our country. Nigeria is blessed with very rich culture and heritage; this is the foundation on which all our social institutions and interactions are built.”
Ambode who noted that his government decided to lead the process that will showcase to the world, the priceless treasures of Nigeria, disclosed that the project “will be funded partly by the Lagos State Government and other well-meaning donors, interested organisations and individuals, but will serve the generations of Nigerians now and the future.”
Continuing, the governor said: “We want to leave the present museum the way it is, to say the story of who we are. Then, the new museum takes you into the future. So, you actually have the price of two for one in the same place. The minister has offered us 6000 square metres of land so that the two can be situated alongside each other.”
Also speaking at the event, Acting Commissioner/Special Adviser to Ambode on Tourism, Arts and Culture, Adebimpe Akinsola, highlighted some of the contributions of the state to tourism development.
“The state recently unveiled the statue of King Ado, the first King of Lagos, and the legendary Prince Olofin, the first settler in Lagos. As we speak, the Badagry Heritage Museum is under renovation, the Vlekete Slave Market Museum in Badagry is almost completed, while the Point of No Return Edifice at Gberefu, Badagry, will soon be delivered. All the above-mentioned forms part of the state tourism development projects meant to enrich the experience of visitors and tourists to the state,” she said.
Minister for Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed who noted that Lagos is most ready for tourism and creative industry today, announced that the Federal Government is doing all it can to ease visa process for tourists. He said there exists now, a policy of visa on arrival for a category of people, while immigration form has been compressed into about 15 questions only.
Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Nnaemeka Achebe Agbogidi, was also full of praise for the Ambode’s initiative, describing art as life.
“Big countries,” he said, “patronise art, small countries patronise art. Why can Nigeria not patronise art? People talk about money; go to Ghana, go to Senegal… they’ve got very interesting and functioning artistic institutions that they enjoy and a lot of the world come to their countries. So, why can’t we do that? It’s possible if we can think about it.”
Earlier, a session on ‘The Museum as a Tool for Driving Tourism, Arts and Culture,’ was moderated by art curator, Bisi Silva, with panelists, including Omooba Yemisi Shyllon, Chief Nike Okundaye of Nike Art Gallery, and Director General of National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Mallam Yusuf Abdullah Usman.
According to Shyllon, there is need to develop a positive additude towards the museum, adding that although museum attracts traffic, they are not self-sustaining.
For Okundaye, Nigeria is big enough to institute a festival with the aim of creating awareness on the treasures in the museum and give the youngsters the opportunity to know about their own culture and tradition.
On his part, Mallam Usman, is optimistic that the new museum would set the tone for the return of stolen works from Nigeria from around the world. “Each time we make a case for the return of those works back home, the question they always ask us is, ‘where do you want to put them?’ Your Excellency, I thank you for giving us a befitting place to put the works,” he said.
