By Olasunkanmi Akoni

Traditional rulers in Lagos State have been charged to document history and culture of their community for the new generation popularly called “GenZ” to prevent the extinction of Yoruba culture and heritage.

Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mrs Toke Benson-Awoyinka, gave the charge on Sunday, at the official unveiling of “Oniru Gazette,” a community news platform, an initiative of the Monarch of Iruland, Oba Gbolahan Lawal, held at Sol Beach, Lekki area of Lagos.

Mrs Benson-Awoyinka, who noted that Iruland is the tourism center of Lagos, said “The Oniru Gazette will communicate happenings within Iruland and Eti Osa Council Area to the global world with a view to bringing investors into the state for more development.

“The initiative is a welcome development. I’m particularly happy for Oniru of Iruland on this initiative. It’s an astonishing stride. It will tell the story of Iruland and Lagos to the world.

“I urge other monarchs in Lagos to emulate Oniru Kingdom to come up with initiatives like this that aim to protect and keep records of happening in their kingdom and environs for the present and generations to eliminate preventable controversial issues about history and traditions as witnessed recently in the state.”

Also, the representative of the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftainacy Affairs, Mr Gbenga Afolabi, urged other traditional rulers to emulate the Oniru of Iruland to tell their stories to the world in a bid to differentiate myths from facts.

Speaking on the objectives of Oniru Gazette, Oba Lawal, who expressed gratitude for the birth of the magazine, stressed that “communication is the vehicle that drives development to any community,” hence the need to project the successes and challenges of Iruland to get government and investors’ attention to develop the area.

According to Oba Lawal, “This zone apart from being a real estate, is also known for tourism, so the Gazette would be used to disseminate authentic information and facts about our culture and heritage.

“Actually, the objective is to relate our own narratives, situate it, and ensure we use tourism to project our real image and also an opportunity for investors around the community to advertise themselves to the world.

“As we have many activities around our community, the magazine would come in handy at a free price to residents and tourists as well.

“This would definitely help in propagating correct information about our kingdom and environs from a credible source.”

Spokesman of the tourists partners of Oniru Gazette, Mr Mazin Jamarkani, pledged their support for the Oniru Gazette for sustainability with a call on the state government to ensure conducive environment for businesses to thrive in Lagos.

The Oniru Gazette is a bimonthly platform to showcase the rich cultural heritage and tell the plights and success stories of Iruland, free of charge to Lagos residents.