The former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, has called for urgent recognition and preservation of a collection of historic sites in Abeokuta and Egbaland, urging that they be designated and promoted as national heritage assets to boost tourism and safeguard cultural memory.
Obasanjo made the appeal on Sunday while receiving members of the Lisabi Pre-Festival Heritage Tour and Cultural Arts Exhibition Committee at his residence in Abeokuta, Ogun State. The meeting, according to a statement released by his Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Akinyemi, was part of consultations ahead of the 2026 Lisabi Day Festival.
The former president highlighted the rich historical significance of several landmarks, including the Iwe Iroyin House, where Nigeria’s first newspaper was published in December 1859 by British missionary Rev. Henry Townsend, and called on authorities to “preserve, renovate and promote key heritage sites” before they disappear to neglect.
“There is no doubt that Egbaland is filled with notable people and places which must be preserved and given a facelift to boost tourism,” Obasanjo said. “The background of these great individuals should be highlighted and shown to the world.”
In his remarks, Obasanjo outlined a list of historic landmarks that he believes deserve formal recognition and conservation, including: Iwe Iroyin House, the birthplace of Nigeria’s first newspape, old Abeokuta Prison at Ibara, one of the nation’s earliest penal institutions, dilapidated old Ibara Railway Station, Oke Sokori, the residence of renowned Yoruba figure Efunsetan Aniwura,Madam Efunroye Tinubu’s two-storey building near Akin Olugbade Hospital, Tinubu’s burial ground in Gbagura, and the first flyover in Abeokuta.
Obasanjo stressed that these sites are not merely relics but repositories of stories that define Nigeria’s social and cultural evolution.
Beyond physical landmarks, the former president emphasised the importance of memorialising the contributions of distinguished Egba figures and institutions. He called for greater recognition of families and individuals such as the Ransome-Kutis, Toye Cokers, Majekodunmis, and M.K.O. Abiola, as well as historic institutions like Abeokuta Grammar School.
“These individuals and institutions helped shape our collective identity,” Obasanjo said. “Their stories should not be lost to time, but documented and showcased to inspire future generations.”
The visitors, led by Navy Captain Rasheed Adisa Raji (retired)—Chairman of the Lisabi Festival Committee and Asipa of Egbaland, briefed Obasanjo on plans for this year’s Lisabi Festival, scheduled to hold in March. They sought his blessings for the Pre-Festival Heritage Tour and Cultural Arts Exhibition, which will feature displays of traditional herbs, medicines and other indigenous arts.
Raji explained the cultural tour’s objectives, saying, “We also request, sir, our Baba, to deliver a lecture on the role of traditional herbs from Egbaland during this festival.”
The committee’s Coordinator, Olusanya John, presented an itinerary that will involve all key sections of Egbaland in hosting cultural tours, historical site visits and exhibitions during the festival period.
Responding to the brief, Obasanjo accepted the committee’s invitation to speak at the cultural exhibition, pledging his support for the success of the programme and its wider goals of historical preservation.
