“Preservation of Our History Must Be Taken Seriously” – Fashola Warns Sanwo-Olu Govt Amid Street Renaming Controversy

Former Lagos State Governor and ex-Minister of Works, Babatunde Fashola, has urged the current administration of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to avoid actions that could distort the historical identity of Lagos, as controversy brews over the renaming of streets across the state.

Speaking on Tuesday at the public presentation of *Discover Lagos State: A History Puzzle Book (Volume 1)* at the Civic Centre in Victoria Island, Fashola emphasised the importance of preserving historical records and landmarks as a means of instilling civic values and a deeper understanding of the city’s past.

Drawing from global examples, Fashola referenced the archives of the University of Glasgow, which detail the historical impact of individuals like Dr. Isaac Ladipo Oluwole—a Nigerian who studied at the university between 1913 and 1918 and later became the first African medical officer of health in the Lagos colony. He pioneered school health services, oversaw school inspections and vaccinations, and founded Nigeria’s first school of hygiene in Yaba in 1920.

Fashola pointed to Ladipo Oluwole Street in Ikeja as an example of how naming streets after historical figures preserves their legacy. “So those of us who drive through streets such as Ladipo Oluwole Street in Ikeja will probably now understand and contextualise the contributions of such a man and why it was considered such a high honour to immortalise him by naming a street in his memory,” he said.

Referring to the ongoing renaming debate, Fashola added, “It is perhaps instructive that we are discussing street naming and street unnaming and I keep my gunpowder dry.” He continued, “Today I reiterate those words about street naming and Dr Oluwole with a greater conviction to reinforce my message that the preservation of our history and the documentation of our progress should be taken seriously.”

Fashola also called for stronger institutional support for the Lagos State Records and Archives Bureau (LASRAB), which developed the new puzzle book. “The work of LASRAB extends beyond educational books. The ultimate goal is to create a central hub of a trustworthy and comprehensive repository of Lagos State memory. Mr Governor, LASRAB must be well-funded.”

Representing Governor Sanwo-Olu at the event, Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat praised the book as an initiative that combines education, creativity, and cultural preservation. “This project is an innovative learning tool designed to stimulate young minds,” he said. “It will also promote curiosity, deepen our pride as Lagosians, and our collective understanding of the history and heritage of our dear state.”

Hamzat also acknowledged Fashola’s foundational role in establishing LASRAB. “I recall very clearly that he wrote an executive order directing that all documentation—when we build schools, bridges, anything—we keep five copies: one in the Ministry of Science and Technology and one in LASRAB. This foundational act was not merely administrative. It was an intentional effort to institutionalise, preserve, document, and disseminate Lagos’s narrative for posterity.”

Concluding his remarks, Hamzat underlined the need to remain rooted in history. “It is important that we don’t only understand ourselves, but we must understand our history so we don’t lose ourselves. This book is a creative method of crafting historical consciousness that informs while it also entertains. That way, we don’t distort our history and we don’t misunderstand our being.”