By Abiodun JIMOH
The Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), Dr. Kayode Opeifa, has called on the Legacy Museum, custodian of the nation’s rail relics, to intensify efforts in attracting tourists to view railway artifacts spread across railway compounds nationwide.
Opeifa made the appeal while hosting the Board of Trustees and Management of the Legacy Museum, led by its President, Mr. Taiwo Olaniyi, in his office on Tuesday.
He suggested that the museum could introduce a dedicated tourist bus to take visitors around the NRC headquarters and various stations within Lagos State. Additionally, he advised the museum to produce a comprehensive documentary highlighting rail monuments, especially historic residential and railway station buildings, to draw the Federal Government’s attention and support.
Opeifa expressed the NRC’s willingness to collaborate with the museum by expanding its programs to attract more tourists and generate revenue for its maintenance and sustainability.
Earlier, Mr. Olaniyi noted that the Legacy Museum, also known as the Jakeal House, has been preserving railway artifacts for over 30 years and serves as a hub for architectural research, attracting students from the University of Lagos and other institutions.
He revealed that the museum has ongoing collaborations with the Goethe-Institut of Germany, the British High Commission, and Oxford University, England, to enhance preservation efforts. Olaniyi appealed to the NRC management to protect old structures in railway compounds across the country from being demolished or remodeled.
In a related development, Ojez Entertainment, an NRC business partner, expressed interest in deepening its relationship with the corporation. During a courtesy visit to Opeifa, the Chairman/Managing Director of Ojez Entertainment, Mr. Joseph Odobeatu, accompanied by Nigerian music star Sunny Nneji, affirmed their readiness to collaborate further with the NRC.
Opeifa praised Ojez Entertainment for their fruitful partnership and commended Sunny Nneji for his positive remarks about his recent experience riding the Lagos-Ibadan Transport Service, which he described as “a completely comfortable ride.”
