By Habeeb Ibrahim
Photos by: Muminat Ajide
The students of Tourism and Hospitality Management from Lagos State University of Science and Technology (LASUSTECH) recently made waves at the Lagos Cultural Heritage event titled “Historical Story of Lagos,” held at Freedom Park, Broad Street, Lagos. Their performance, which creatively depicted the history and cultural richness of Lagos through dance and drama, earned them significant recognition.
The event was organized by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, and Culture under the leadership of Hon. Idris Aregbe, Special Adviser to the Governor on Tourism, Arts, and Culture. The goal of the event was to offer a comprehensive introduction to the culture, traditions, and customs of Lagos, while also celebrating and promoting the unique heritage of the state.
LASUSTECH’s participation stood out as they captivated the audience with a concise yet impactful performance, delivering the historical narrative of Lagos in under 10 minutes. Through dance and drama, they illustrated the division of Lagos State into its four major divisions: Badagry, Ikorodu, Ikeja, Lagos Island, and Epe.
Before the performance, Mr. Ibrahim Nurudeen, the Artistic Director of LASUSTECH’s cultural group, advised the students to remain time-conscious and avoid competition, urging them to excel in their presentation. “Be on top of the game. Be smart and fast in your performance,” he told them, also reminding the narrator to make the story engaging.
In an interview, Mr. Peter Fatomilola, a renowned Nigerian dramatist, actor, poet, and Ifa priest, encouraged the youth to embrace and preserve their culture, warning that those who neglect their traditions lose their identity. “I’ll encourage us to hold our tradition and culture firmly because if anybody fails to hold his own culture and traditions, it’s like someone born on the earth without an identity, which means he has no background, no history. Such a person is what we call a bastard, and I don’t want our Nigerian youth to be bastards. They should uphold their culture and traditions,” he stated. He also emphasized the importance of preserving Lagos’ unique cultural blend, advising, “Lagosians shouldn’t allow the acquired tradition, mixed with Lagos tradition, to affect their own tradition. Let it be balanced.”
Hon. Idris Aregbe, during an interview, expressed his delight and gratitude towards LASUSTECH’s management, praising the students’ energy and passion. “I’m very happy because I see a lot of energy, a lot of passion. I see the fact that they brought themselves together. I’m happy with Lagos dance, I’m happy that I’m having young people doing well in theater arts, and I am happy that they did so well. We are proud of them, and I can assure you that as Special Adviser to the Governor on Tourism, Arts, and Culture, I’m going to do a lot of partnership with LASUSTECH.”
Prince Ladega Ibrahim Kehinde, a former Special Adviser to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, and an alumnus of Lagos State Polytechnic, expressed his pride in his alma mater. “Laspotech has always been a polytechnic of excellence, but now I believe it’s a continuity of excellence with its current status as a university. I’m not surprised by the performance because they’ve always been historic in terms of cultural values. We have always promoted culture; Lagos identity has always been a core value, and that is why we shine everywhere we go.”
He also highlighted the importance of cultural education starting at home: “Our culture starts from every home because families will introduce their children to culture, and it will be very difficult when you don’t have children who are not introduced to culture. Parents should endeavor to teach their children their culture, and to the youth, there is a lot of industry in our culture. Let’s take advantage of that. Know more about the culture; it’s the way of life—dressing, language, and everything that entails.”
Reflecting on the performance, Mr. Ibrahim Nurudeen appreciated the students’ ability to adapt despite time constraints. “We thank God for the whole thing, although we were unable to do one-quarter of what we planned because of time. The program didn’t start as scheduled, so we had to shrink it to fit the time assigned to us. But I still appreciate the students for listening to the last instructions. They prepared for almost 32 minutes, and we were given 10 minutes, so we discussed with them how to make their performance concise, and we managed the time well.”
He also reiterated the importance of cultural identity, saying, “The Yoruba will say, ‘Eni ba so ile nu, o so apo iya ko’ (He who loses his home, loses his identity). The only thing we youth should know that they can do not to forget their source is to hold on tight to their culture because that is what actually makes them who they are. Without the culture, you won’t have identity.”
