The Lagos City Council approved an addendum to the Shared Management Agreement signed with the National Railway Museum Foundation – Armando Ginestal Machado.
The amendment to the clauses enhances the responsibilities of the municipality, which now has the authority to undertake internal and external procedures (i.e., public procurement) for preparing the Preliminary Study and the architectural, museological, and museographic projects necessary to prepare the space for its opening to the public.
Simplifying the partnership terms to speed up the rehabilitation of the Museum Centre and enable the community to access history and a long-awaited heritage space is the main goal of this new decision made jointly by the two organisations.
It is worth noting that the Shared Management Protocol for the Lagos Museum Centre of the National Railway Museum was signed during a commemorative ceremony at the Lagos Cultural Centre on July 30, 2022, coinciding precisely with the centenary celebration of the train’s arrival in Lagos.
The station’s typical role as a terminal on a branch line resulted in a large locomotive yard and a turntable. With the construction and opening of the new railway station – now in the 21st century – the old Lagos Station was decommissioned, with those structures preserved and incorporated into the Foundation’s heritage as a Railway Centre, remaining open for visits for several years.
The need for a more thorough renovation of the building, the absence of an exhibition space, and the shortage of human resources to sustain the space permanently eventually led to its closure. However, both the Foundation and the municipality have always viewed this closure as temporary, never losing sight of the aim of improving the space and reopening it to the public.
In the protocol signed at the time, the municipality had already acknowledged its willingness to accept the transfer of management of the Lagos Museum Centre, undertake renovation work on the former coach house and surrounding area, and carry out subsequent maintenance of the building.
The municipality is also responsible for developing the Centre’s facilities, including opening it to the public, surveillance, cleaning, promotion, and revitalisation. It is now also responsible for creating the projects.
