OUR HERITAGE IS OUR LEGACY: A CALL TO ACTION FOR LAGOS SCHOOLS

Lolade Salvador
Founder
Taiwo Ololade Salvador Educational Initiatives

History and culture have always been my top priority for our students. I believe every Lagos child should know the story of their land and the strength of their family heritage. When we lose our history, we lose our identity.

That conviction led me on a journey to the Office of the Director-General, Lagos State Records and Archives Bureau (LASRAB). I had the honor of meeting with Mr. Amodu Razak, DG of LASRAB, former Eko Club President, and past Director at the Ministry of Chieftaincy and Local Government, Alausa.

Our discussion was centered on one commitment: preserving and promoting Lagos State’s historical legacy for the next generation. LASRAB is not just a storehouse of old files. It is the living memory of Eko — housing rare documents, photographs, and family heirlooms donated by Lagosians who understand that our past must teach our future.

Taiwo Ololade Salvador Educational Initiatives, as an NGO promoting sustainable education through Reading and Writing, is now calling on all public schools in Lagos State to take deliberate action:

Take a tour to LASRAB Museum & Archives: Let pupils see Lagos history from the original source. Let them touch the documents that built our city. A single visit can do what 10 textbooks cannot.
Teach from the source: Encourage students to speak about their heritage and rich family history. Ask them to interview grandparents. Bring those stories to school. Many can become part of the LASRAB archives.
Preserve our heirlooms: If your family has old photos, letters, artefacts of Lagos life — donate copies to LASRAB. Our heritage only survives when we share it.

Mr. Amodu Razak and the LASRAB team have opened the doors. The records are there. The museum is ready. What is left is our will as educators, parents, and community leaders.

A child who knows where Eko came from will know where to take Eko next. A child who is proud of their name, their compound, their island or mainland story, will not be easily swayed to abandon their values.

**Ajumose Eko ti gbogbo wa ni o*
This is our collective responsibility.

Let’s raise readers. Let’s raise writers. But most importantly, let’s raise Lagosians who know their roots.

Lolade Salvador
Founder, Taiwo Ololade Salvador Educational Initiatives
NGO promoting sustainable education in Lagos with a focus on Reading and Writing