Today, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, governor of Lagos State, opened the refurbished Vlekete Slave Market Museum in Badagry. The Governor said at the opening ceremony that the project was well-planned to meet the objectives of the Entertainment and Tourism pillar of the T.H.E.M.E.S. Agenda and that it was undertaken by his government to encourage tourism in the State.
The Secretary to the State Government, Mrs. Sherifat Folashade Jaji, spoke on behalf of Sanwo-Olu and gave a summary of the artifacts and artifact galleries in the newly opened Museum, noting that it also has information on slavery and the slave trade.
According to him, “The Museum also displays a reproduction of the Slave Punishment Center demonstrating the style of treatment and inhuman punishment that individuals abducted and marked as slaves were subjected to as a consequence of their disobedience against their owners and the slave masters. Additionally, there is a model of a slave tunnel, where captured slaves were confined until being transported to their masters or owners.
The Honorable Commissioner for Tourism, Arts, and Culture, Pharm. (Mrs.) Uzamat Akinbile-Yussuf, expressed hope in her introductory remarks that Badagry would become a top tourist, leisure, and educational destination as a result of the reconstruction of the slave market museum.
She urged the National Commission on Museums and Monuments (NCMM), the Nigerian National Commission for UNESCO (NATCOM), and the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to support the Slave Market Museum through registration, publicity, and international recognition in order to grow the tourism sector in Lagos State.
In order to protect the infrastructures as they continue to draw attention to Badagry, Akinbile-Yussuf further advised the Chiefs and Leaders of the Badagry community to protect the monuments, relics, and historical artifacts, as well as the museum.
The Director of the UNESCO Regional Office for West-Sahel Africa also spoke at the opening, and he was represented by Mr. Delanghe Philippe, the Culture Programme Specialist for the UNESCO Regional Office in Abuja. He said the group thought that obscuring or being ignorant of important historical events prevented intergroup understanding, atonement, and collaboration.
He noted that museums play crucial roles in the socio-economic development of member states, ranging from educational institutions to tourist destinations with the potential to generate revenue. He commended Governor Sanwo-Olu for the commendable project of establishing “Vlekete” the Slave Market Museum.
The fundamental responsibilities of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM), according to Prof. Abba Isa Tijani, Director-General, are to gather, record, conserve, and manage cultural resources.
He clarified that in addition to providing public monuments and museums, the organization also promotes education, enlightenment, and recreation.
The Lagos State Government was commended for preserving history, and Olagunju Idowu, the Secretary-General of the Nigerian National Commission for UNESCO, promised to continue working with the State.
Idowu said that through bridging the past and present, the Museum’s renovation will significantly contribute to creating a brighter future for Nigerians.
Senior government representatives in attendance at the event include Mrs. Oyinade Nathan-Marsh, Permanent Secretary, Mr. Olufemi Martins, Special Adviser to the Governor on Tourism, Arts, and Culture, and Mr. Fatai Oluwa, Chairman of the House Committee on Tourism.