LASRAB unveils book on Lagos history, as Sanwo-Olu, Fashola call for preservation of Yoruba heritage
The Lagos Records and Archives Bureau, LASRAB, on Tuesday unveiled ‘Discover Lagos State, A History Puzzle Book (Vol.1),’ a book on the history of Lagos State.
At the unveiling ceremony held in Lagos were the Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu represented by the deputy governor, Obafemi Hamzat, as well as the former governor of the state, Babajide Raji Fashola, Senators Gbenga Ashafa and Ganiyu Solomon among other stakeholders.
Speaking on behalf of the governor, Hamzat said the book was designed to promote Lagos and enhance people’s knowledge about the state.
He commended LASRAB for publishing records relating to the history of the state adding that it would help the younger generation to know ‘where we are coming from.’
“It is important that we must understand our history so we don’t lose ourselves. We need to ensure our children understand where we are coming from so that other people don’t disrupt our history.
We must be careful to preserve our history and.important that we keep it,” he said.
He added: “We must commend LASRAB for demonstrating foresight in keeping our records. We must archive them and bring them to life. It is important we understand more about Lagos and build our perspective to know the foundation of the state.”
On his part, Fashola said LASRAB was established in 2012 during his administration as governor of Lagos State in order to ensure authentic records about Lagos are preserved.. He expressed satisfaction with the level the agency has achieved with the new publication since it was created.
“LASRAB holds a special place in my heart. It was created as a response to generational responsibility for Lagosians to know their history.
Record keeping is an act of patriotism and form of governance. Public records are essential for equipping generations for them to build a better tomorrow. This book makes the past accessible and this effort by LASRAB is commendable. The preservation of our history must be taken seriously,” Fashola said.
He urged Lagos State government to make more funding available for the agency. He also urged the management of the agency to digitalize all the records and include the COVID-19 incident in their records.
Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso in his remarks described the book ‘as an attempt to make our young generation remember our past and preserve our cultural heritage.’
The Director-General, LASRAB, Mrs Toyin Ogunlana, said the book is part of the THEMES + agenda of Sanwo-Olu’s administration, noting that younger generations will be able to learn about past and present history of Lagos State.
