Epe council inaugurates museum, showcases cultural heritage

She said: “Five years ago when I assumed office, we set out a plan which was very uncertain and difficult. As we laid down our plans on how to regenerate, restore and reform our council, we did what every other government would do.

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“First, we dualised roads, rebuilt our schools, focused on our socio-economic, dealt with our environment, and built infrastructure; that is what every other council government does in Lagos state. But we did one thing that fewer local governments would do in defining their agenda for development, preserving and showcasing our cultural heritage. We brought culture and took art and culture as a priority for our renaissance as a council. If you look through Lagos, I don’t think there are many places that can boast of our kind of heritage. What is key and fundamental for us is how we, through the centuries, built humanity. That is the representation of who we are, but that knowledge has been lost because it was not written down.

“As a leader and a mother, our responsibility is to envision, visualise and create that vision of what is to be. We know that culture holds a significant place and helps us tell our stories better.”

She noted that Epe division had a cultural heritage they do celebrate on yearly basis, like, “Ọkọṣi, Ẹbi, Kayokayo, Ojude Oba, Kilajolu, Okoro, Ẹpa, Alegbagba, Imalẹ Ajooji, Oloolo, and others, hence the museum would stand as a reminiscing and reckoning for the generations to come,

Princess Animashaun emphasised that the museum is the first to exhibit real-life Lagosians antiquities in an immersive online environment. The platform features interactive exhibitions, multimedia storytelling, and virtual tours, allowing users—both in Lagos and around the state—to engage with the Lagos’s cultural heritage remotely.

“This innovative project ensures that our stories, traditions, culture and creative expressions are preserved not only for today but for generations yet unborn,” she stated.

She highlighted the challenges faced by museums and cultural institutions to include inadequate funding, poor infrastructure, and insecurity, noting that despite these obstacles, the museum remained resilient and vital to Lagos and Epe identity.

She said that the launch of the museum underscores President Bola Tinubu administration’s commitment to innovation, education, and the global promotion of Nigeria’s diverse cultural landscape.

Appreciating the council boss for her impactful projects across various sectors of the council’s economy over the last five years, the Paramount Ruler of Epeland, and Oloja of Epe division, Oba Kamorudeen Ishola Animashaun, described her as a transformer, who prioritised the welfare and well-being of his people.