Sanwo-Olu unveils ‘Puzzle Book’ on Lagos history

Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Tuesday unveiled the first-of-its-kind Puzzle Book on the history of the state, reiterating his administration’s commitment to supporting knowledge-based initiatives that strengthen identity, promote creativity, and inspire civic pride among its citizens.

Governor Sanwo-Olu expressed this commitment, while speaking at the Public Presentation of the book, titled: “Discover Lagos State: A History Puzzle Book,” held at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, urging teachers, parents, and school administrators to take full advantage of the puzzle book and use it to reinforce learning in and outside the classroom.

Besides, the governor, who spoke through the Deputy Governor, Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, also urged pupils to see history not as something abstract or distant, but as something tangible, exciting, and part of their everyday reality.

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Sanwo-Olu, while making the call, emphasised that his government recognises that education must be multi-dimensional and appeal not only to the intellect but also to the heart and spirit, adding: “Let us continue to build a Lagos where history is preserved, knowledge is shared, and innovation leads the way.”

“Let me reiterate that the Lagos State Government remains committed to supporting knowledge-based initiatives that strengthen identity, promote creativity, and inspire civic pride among our people. Let us continue to build a Lagos where history is preserved, knowledge is shared, and innovation leads the way,” he said.

Governor Sanwo-Olu described the puzzle book as an initiative that blends education, creativity, and cultural preservation, emphasizing that the project was an innovative learning tool designed to stimulate young minds, promote curiosity, and deepen their pride as Lagosians and their collective understanding of the history and heritage of Lagos.

“To build a truly informed generation of Lagosians is to ensure that our people, especially our children, understand their origins. It is to equip them with knowledge of the heroes who paved the way, the struggles that refined us, and the values that define us.

“This book is a brick in that foundation, a creative method of transmitting historical consciousness that informs while it entertains,” they said.

Speaking further, the governor highlighted that one of the greatest challenges of the 21st Century is ensuring that history remains alive and relevant in a fast-paced, digital world, noting that the book rises boldly to the challenge by turning archival content into an engaging experience.

Sanwo-Olu stressed that the initiative was a commendable example of how public institutions can evolve with time, using technology and creativity to reach wider and younger audiences.

He, therefore, commended Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola for his visionary leadership in establishing the Lagos State Records and Archives Bureau (LASRAB) in 2008 when he was the governor of the state, noting that the foundational initiative was a deliberate effort to preserve, document, and share the Lagos story for future generations.

Former Governor Fashola, in his remark, disclosed that the book testifies to what is possible when history and creativity meet, adding that the book made the past engaging and accessible.

He noted that books would introduce children to their heritage, not through dense pages of text, but through puzzles, pictures, and stories that stimulate curiosity and civic pride, stressing that “the effort by LASRAB is, without any doubt, the most commendable one.”

Fashola said the goal of the Lagos State Records and Archives Bureau (LASRAB) was to create a central hub, a trustworthy and comprehensive repository of Lagos State’s memory, where students, leaders, scholars, journalists, and citizens find facts, documents, policies, and evidence of the development of the people.

Fashola, therefore, urged the state government to adequately fund LASRAB for the agency to continue to carry out the purpose of its establishment and become more relevant in the 21st-century archival purpose.

“To make this goal a reality, LASRAB must be adequately resourced, must be well funded, and those resources go beyond the physical.

“They transition to the financial. They also move to the digital, as records are preserved for their legal value or enduring historical significance and constitute a key cultural heritage and information source,” he said.

The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Gbenga Omotoso, in his welcome address, noted that the state government had presented the book to the people as an innovative way to ignite their curiosity and connect them to their historical narratives in an interactive and internationalist way.

Omotoso described the initiative as a significant milestone in the state government’s efforts in preserving its rich history, value, and cultural heritage, and the historical evolution of Lagos in a dynamic, engaging, and modern format, just as he emphasized the need to guide against “losing our identity.”

“If we fail to evolve many times, we risk losing our identity. But with initiatives like the event is a significant milestone in the state government’s efforts in preserving its rich history, value, and cultural heritage, and the historical evolution of Lagos in a dynamic, engaging, and modern format,” the commissioner said.

Speaking further, Omotosho urged the people not to see the book as a usual publication, but a creative and educational tool that bridges the past with the present and prepares young people for the future that everyone was always talking about.

In his review of the book, Director, Lagos State University (LASU) Pre-Degree Studies (PSD), Epe Campus, Prof. Olawale Lawal, disclosed that the book pays retro heritage and historical attention to the five traditional administrative divisions of Lagos known as IBILE, an acronym which refers to Ikeja, Badagry, Ikorodu, Lagos, and Epe.

According to him, the book combines lucidity in the form of “transparent illustration of historical facts and our cultural ties,” saying that the 55-chapter book, with 220 pages, is divided into two parts.

“The first part, from pages 1 to 139, contains 37 chapters and focuses on the history, culture, tradition, and lifestyle of the people of Lagos, while the remaining 18 chapters, running from 140 to 220, feature recordings of significant periods in Lagos State,” he said.

Prof. Lawal concluded that the puzzle would provide a circle of growth for acquiring knowledge, as well as practicing skills that are targeted at knowledge development, and reflecting on learning experiences.