The Executive Chairman, Epe Local Government Council Area of Lagos State, Princess Surah Animashaun, has said the investment in the council’s creative, arts and culture sectors over the last five years has transformed the council into a centre of excellence, repositioning the council as Nigeria’s arts, culture, and tourism hub.

The Chairperson stated this when she led the state’s and council's dignitaries and other stakeholders to the official commissioning of the state-of-the-art Museum in Epe Local Government Council Area of Lagos state.

Princess Animashaun addressing the residents, representatives of state government and other stakeholders at the commissioning of the Museum, said the project, part of the council’s cultural district, holds immense employment and investment potential for the council and would be a key driver of tourism and economic growth.

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.

“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.”

She continued: “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.

“Today, we stand at the threshold of a new era for Lagos’s cultural heritage,” Princess Animashaun said during the opening of the Museum. “This event is not merely a celebration of technological achievement; it is a testament to our nation’s enduring commitment to preserving, promoting, and sharing the richness of our history and creativity with the world.”

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,” the Chairperson stated.

While acknowledging the achievements, the Chairperson also highlighted the longstanding challenges faced by museums and cultural institutions in Epe, including 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 the Tinubu administration’s commitment to innovation, education, and the global promotion of Nigeria’s diverse cultural landscape.

Appreciating the Chairperson 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.

Others at the Chairperson’s entourage included the Obas within the council and its environs, former and present House of Representatives members, as well as former and present House of Assembly members, council chief of staff, Supervisory Councillors, exco members and staff and members of the council, among others.