UK GOVERNMENT CELEBRATES RAILWAY HERITAGE
The Nigeria Railway corporation (NRC), Oxford University and the Heritage Group Legacy 1995 have been applauded for the treasure they exhibited at the workshop to showcase a collaborative project between them.
This commendation was made by the United Kingdom Deputy High Commissioner in Lagos Mr. Ben Llewllyn-Jones while hosting a one-day workshop with a theme” Nigeria Railway Digital Documentation partnership” to promote the UK-Nigeria shared heritage in the railway sector at his residence in Lagos. He said the collaboration between The Nigeria Railway corporation, legacy museum, oxford university and heritage group will enhance preservation of relics that will enrich scholarship of the gradual development of rail system.
He further said the digital heritage project which was funded by UK research and with the help of partners in Nigeria will document and record railway history in ways which are local to each area in Nigeria, and its coming at a time when Nigeria is redeveloping its rail network.
Earlier in his opening remarks the Managing Director (MD) NRC Engr. Fidet Okhiria who was represented by the Director Corporate planning DR. James G. Zang commended the British High Commissioner for hosting the day talk-shop on Legacy Museum, which according to NRC boss will ginger the management in doing everything possible to assist the museum as the curators of NRC Artifacts to succeed. He commended the effort of the Jaekal house towards digitalizing these assets such as Railway buildings, workshops, locomotives, Wagons, Coaches, Operational Materials and Pictures etc.
Also speaking at the event the research coordinator on the project Olly Owens commended staff of NRC, architects and photographers for the part they played in the success of the research, he further said the research was coming at a time when Nigeria is redeveloping its rail network future and how the research will showcase the railways connecting the people and places can be a resource in itself not just for education, or remembering, or a sense of identity but also a material resource for culture and tourism.
In his address the legacy museum Vice President Mr. Taiye Olaneye said this day is a great one to showcase the project and also a forum for cross fertilization of ideas in appreciation of our cultural heritage which will in near future become a center of research for students and academia in quest of knowledge.
The event attracted non-governmental organizations (NGOs) Culture enthusiast, researchers within and outside the country.
YAKUB MAHMOOD
DEPUTY DIRECTOR PUBLIC RELATIONS