By Babawale Olukorede
A renowned Professor of Planning and Heritage at the Liverpool School of Architecture, Prof. Taibat Olaitan Lawanson, hàs decried the poor preservation of Nigerian’s cultural resources and non-prioritisation of heritage management, despite its vast potentials.
She delivered the 4th edition of TPL Dr Abubakar Mobolaji Olaseni Annual Lecture Series titled: “Heritage at Risk: Rethinking Nigerian’s Urban Development Trajectory”.
The don said cultural heritage was intrinsic to creating the intangible value of urbanisation.
Lawanson described heritage as legacy from the past, what is lived with today and what is passed on to future generations.
She said the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) noted that Nigeria’s cultural heritage constitutes a substantial part of the country’s tourism resources, and if properly protected and managed, it can contribute significantly to the country’s economic development goals.
She enumerated some of the significance of the nation’s cultural heritage to include strengthening sustainable development, bringing communities together, building resilience and wellbeing among others. This, she explained, can play a vital role in tackling challenges.
The renowned don expressed worries over poor performance of the heritage sector in Nigeria, as most of the numerous heritage assets in Nigeria are not well protected and thereby called on those that are custodians of our cultural resources to wake up to the call of their duties.
She said the earlier this is done the better because certain aspects of the nation’s artefact will soon become extinct.
Earlier, in his remarks, the Rector, Yaba College of Technology, Dr. Ibraheem Adedotun Abdul represented by the Deputy Rector Academics, Dr Ismail Badmus, described the lecture as timely and essential, noting that it challenges people to critically evaluate how cities are evolving, balancing structured planning with the organic dynamism of urban life.
He acknowledged the impact of Dr Abubakar Mobolaji Olaseni for his immense contribution to growth and development of Yaba College of Technology.
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“This gathering would not be completed without celebrating the man who has inspired this annual tradition, Dr. Abubakar Mobolaji Olaseni. His unwavering dedication to urban and regional planning, as well as his mentorship to many in this field, remains a beacon of inspiration. We are grateful for his contributions and proud to honour him this platform,” he said.
The honoree, Olaseni explained that the lecture is a very stimulating one and in the conversation so far, eyes have been opened to the significance of cultural heritage, its challenges and the urgent needs to address them, and the way out is to have a holistic approach to urban development that places the preservation of cultural heritage in the front burner.
He thanked the Rector for being a visionary leader and a patriot. He did the same for Lawanson, and the chairman of the occasion, Prof. Muyiwa Falaye.
In his welcome address, the chairman organising committee TPL Iyanda Oladimeji thanked God in the life of Olaseni and for his good works and deeds, especially the academic investment in his students that made them come together annually to celebrate him.