Group distributes Lagos history book to schools

BATKORRECT, a Lagos-based socio-political group, has distributed copies of ‘Behind The Streets: Inside the World of Personalities Popular Lagos Streets Are Named After’ to secondary school students across Lagos State as part of activities marking Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary.

The distribution followed a series of book-reading sessions held in three educational districts of the state, where the author, Special Adviser on Research, Media and Documentation to the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Adeshina Oyetayo, introduced students to the lives and contributions of personalities whose names have become associated with prominent Lagos streets.

The initiative, according to the group, was aimed at helping students connect with the history behind familiar street names and better understand the contributions of individuals who played roles in Lagos and Nigeria’s development.

Speaking at a reading session at Mainland High School, Yaba, the Coordinator of BATKORRECT, Victor Ganzallo, said the group partnered with Oyetayo to make the book accessible to young Nigerians, particularly following the reintroduction of History into the school curriculum.

“With the reintroduction of History into the school curriculum, students now have an opportunity to learn about these important personalities and their lasting impact on society through Oyetayo’s carefully researched work.

“We hope that these young Nigerians will discover the remarkable lives of the eminent personalities whose names grace major streets in Lagos, those figures whose contributions and, in some cases, supreme sacrifices helped build a better Nigeria,” Ganzallo said.

The book is dedicated to President Bola Tinubu, whom Oyetayo credits with legacies of leadership and transformation in Lagos State.

The group’s Publicity Secretary, Aminat Elegushi, said the exercise formed part of BATKORRECT’s community development and educational outreach programmes.

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She said the initiative was also intended to deepen young people’s understanding of their environment and the history associated with it.

“This particular exercise is part of our community development programmes, educational outreaches, and enlightenment initiatives on environmental sanitation and protection,” Elegushi said.

The book-reading team, which included BATKORRECT members Temitope Oyefeso, Olumide Aremu and Gbolahan Adebayo, also visited Osborne Schools Complex, Ikoyi, and Ajayi Crowther Memorial High School, Akoka.

The group said the book distribution followed an earlier intervention in which it distributed cooking gas to vulnerable households across Lagos.

Elegushi also acknowledged the support of the Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment, Tokunbo Wahab, for the group’s programmes.