Kunle Adelabu
-Family unveils Logistics Company
The Lagos State Government has granted the King Kosoko Museum recognition as one of the important centres that must be preserved and protected for the reconstruction of Lagos and Nigeria histories and a place where both local and foreign tourists can visit.
The ancient palace of the late former legendary Oba of Lagos and later Oloja of Ereko, Oba Kosoko, was upgraded to a museum by the family in April this year after about five years of its rehabilitation.
The palace was built in 1862 for the late Lagos monarch as part of the treaty to return him to Lagos where he was exiled and made an Oloja.
The Certificate of Registration was presented to family heads of various branches of the Kosoko royal family on behalf of the Olori Ebi – General, Alhaja Mutiat Abimbola Ashabi Alli-Balogun, at the King Kosoko Museum, on Thursday, August 4, 2022.
The Heads of the various branches of the Kosoko family at the presentation ceremony were: Alhaji Rafiu Shitu, Alhaji Suraju Olojo-Kosoko, Alhaji Tajudeen Crowther and Alhaji Kudirat Obasa.
The family also unveiled a logistics company with five dispatch motorbikes.
Officials of the Lagos State Government, led by Mr Owolabi Alade, Head of Creative Industry and Heritage, Lagos State Tourism, Arts & Culture, guests and family heads were led on the tour of the museum by Prince Tiamiyu Abiola Olojo Kosoko, the Oloja – elect of Ereko, Lagos Island.
Late Oba Kosoko was buried within the palace, though, only the family members have access to the section, but two of his successors as Oloja of Ereko’s burial grounds were in the open for people to see.
Some of the relics in the museum for tourists to see are royal items and war relics used by the legendary King like carrier, slave items, canon, swords, dane guns, scepter, etc.
Also within the palace are shrines accommodating more than ten deities, statues of Eyo and Gelede masquerades among others.
Speaking at the presentation, Prince Abiola Kosoko thanked the government for granting the recognition while also seeking for assistance in insuring some of the relics in the museum.
“We thank the Lagos State Government for coming around today to present the Certificate of Registration of King Kosoko Memorial Museum, but you are not just presenting the certificate but also ascertaining what we have in the Museum”, he said.
“But what you will be seeing today are some of the artifacts of King Kosoko, because we cannot display everything due to lack of insurance for them and we are appealing to the government to assist us in this regard.
“This is King Kosoko palace built for him by the British in 1862, to enable him return to Lagos, there are other houses built at same time alongside the palace, but they are no more due to development and further expansion of Eko into Ereko around 1889 when road construction was done”.
He unveiled the plan of the Kosoko family to make the museum self-sustainable, while seeking assistance in insuring some of the relics in the museum.
“We are looking forward to funding to insure these artefacts because after today’s exhibition, we are going to pack them and take them to where we normally keep them for safe keeping”, Prince Kosoko said.
“What we are aiming at is to tap into the local tourism ideal and make this place available for tourists. If one million people come here in a year and pay N100 each, that amounts to N1, 000, 000. From this money, we are going to pay tax and pay those that we employ to work within”.
The Oloja – elect also used the occasion to appeal to the state government to release some properties acquired by the government to the family, stating that they are of great significance to the family.
“There are houses and landed properties that were acquired by the government which have serious historic importance to the Kosoko palace, history of Lagos and Nigeria at large. We are pleading that these houses and lands be returned to make Kosoko palace attains its full historical importance”, he pleaded.
“These houses have meaning and significance to the origin and how Lagos was transformed. Without them, we cannot write about Lagos and Nigeria history completely”.
As part of the family’s efforts to sustain the museum and provide employment, Oloja Kosoko also announced the kick – off of a logistic company with five dispatch riders.
“This is a project to empower the family and create employment opportunities for the public”, he said.
“Also today, we are launching Kosoko Harbour dispatch ride to empower and create employment. We don’t want a situation where whenever there are riots like the EndSARS and union crisis, people will be saying Kosoko youths are involved.
“This is part of the family’s efforts in creating employment. We are starting with five dispatch bikes and by the end of this year, we are sure that we are going to be having around 50 bikes”.
Prince Sikiru Adeoye Kosoko, the General Secretary, Kosoko family, also speaking, said that the Oloja – elect has been responsible for the collections of the items of the late Oba Kosoko with the support of the family.
He appealed to the government for further redevelopment and preservation of the Museum.
Mr Owolabi Shakirudeen Alade, Head of Creative Industry and Heritage, Lagos State Tourism, Arts & Culture, while presenting the certificate to the family, said that he was overwhelmed by what he saw and emphasized the importance of the museum to Lagos, Nigeria and world history at large, especially in the area of trade and commerce.
“I am overwhelmed and happy because the duty that I am performing today is a landmark presentation in my career as a civil servant. King Kosoko has played a very prominent role in the existence of trade and commerce in Lagos, Nigeria, West Africa and Africa at large”, he said.
“The recognition that has been given to this family since the advent of British contacts is very significant and the place of the family is of great importance and I am happy that this event is taking place today”.
He assured that the government will do everything to the King Kosoko Memorial Museum and makes it and other tourist destinations in the state worthy worthy tourist centres.
“The Lagos State Government has given us a schedule to promote, preserve and propagate the culture across the five Divisions in Lagos State”, he said.
“Lagos Island is the pivotal and point of contacts for trade and commerce in the state. Ereko in Lagos Island where King Kosoko resided during his reign, has the market leader (Oloja) of Ereko and Eko at large, and is a significant point for the promotion and preservation of Lagos history.
“What I have seen here in the archive of the Kosoko family will be put in my summation and I believe that we are going to bring this to the limelight as soon as possible.
“As an experienced tourism officer who has being to several museums and places, l have seen that past heritages in those places have been preserved and documented for tourism purpose to serve as source of revenue that will increase the GDP of any country.
“On our part as the state government, we would work towards ensuring that tourists visit here. This is now part of the Lagos State THEMES agenda of Mr Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, aimed at making Lagos the number one tourism hub in this part of the world.
“King Kosoko Museum will be a Mecca of sort for tourists at the end of the day”, he assured.
