Former Lagos State Governor and ex-Minister of Works, Babatunde Fashola, has emphasized the importance of preserving the historical identity of Lagos through proper documentation and the naming of streets. Speaking at the launch of Discover Lagos State: A History Puzzle Book (Volume 1) at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Fashola highlighted how digital archives, like those at the University of Glasgow, safeguard historical contributions and help contextualize the significance of figures like Dr Isaac Ladipo Oluwole, after whom a Lagos street is named.
Fashola narrated how Dr Oluwole, who graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1918, returned to Nigeria to become the first African medical officer of health in Lagos and pioneered school health services. He stressed that understanding such historical backgrounds enriches the meaning behind street names and underlines the importance of preserving Lagos’s memory through institutions like the Lagos State Records and Archives Bureau (LASRAB).
Representing Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat praised the puzzle book initiative as a creative educational tool that combines learning with cultural preservation. He emphasized that such efforts foster curiosity, civic pride, and deeper awareness of the state’s history, especially among the youth, helping them understand their identity and origins.
Both Fashola and Hamzat advocated for increased funding and support for LASRAB to enable it to function as a trustworthy historical repository for Lagos State. They agreed that institutionalizing history through record-keeping, documentation, and innovative tools like the puzzle book is essential to preventing the distortion of the state’s rich cultural and historical legacy.
