Sanwo-Olu urges preservation of Akran’s legacy at funeral thanksgiving in Badagry

Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Saturday called on residents of Badagry to preserve the enduring legacy of the late Akran of Badagry, His Imperial Majesty, De Wheno Aholu Menu Toyi I, describing him as a symbol of unity, peace and cultural pride.

The governor made the appeal during a funeral thanksgiving service held in honour of the late monarch at Freeman Memorial Methodist Cathedral, where dignitaries from across government, politics, and traditional institutions gathered to pay their last respects.

Among those in attendance were Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat, Secretary to the State Government Mrs. Bimbola Salu-Hundeyin, members of the State Executive Council, and a host of traditional rulers, religious leaders and indigenes of Badagry.

Sanwo-Olu described the late monarch as a steady and principled leader whose reign brought decades of peace and stability to the ancient coastal town. He noted that the Akran’s palace remained a place of openness and justice, where leadership was guided by wisdom and restraint.

“To the good people of Badagry, your Kabiyesi lived a life worthy of celebration,” the governor said, recounting the monarch’s roles as a teacher, journalist, statesman and custodian of one of Nigeria’s most historic kingdoms.

He urged the people not to allow grief overshadow the monarch’s achievements, but to honour him by sustaining the values he upheld—preserving cultural monuments, promoting traditions, and strengthening the identity of the Badagry Kingdom.

Following the service, the governor performed the groundbreaking ceremony for the De Wheno Aholu Menu Toyi I Cultural Park, a project aimed at immortalising the late monarch and boosting cultural tourism in the area.

Sanwo-Olu noted that the late Akran’s nearly nine-decade life and 48-year reign, described as the longest in Lagos’ modern traditional history, were defined by service, humility and unwavering commitment to his people.

He added that the monarch played a pivotal role in safeguarding Badagry’s historical heritage, promoting its festivals, and ensuring that its cultural identity remained intact amid rapid modernisation.

In his sermon, the Prelate Emeritus of Methodist Church Nigeria, Sunday Ola Makinde, described the late monarch as a hospitable and devoted leader who served God and humanity with passion until his death.

Makinde also commended the Lagos State Government for ongoing infrastructure projects, including the Blue and Red Line rail systems and the Lagos-Badagry Expressway, urging continued support for the proposed Badagry-Sokoto Expressway.

He charged attendees to reflect on the transient nature of life and to live purposefully, noting that individual actions ultimately shape one’s legacy.

The event drew widespread participation from traditional rulers, political leaders and residents, underscoring the deep connection between the late monarch and his people, many of whom described him not just as a king, but as a father figure whose legacy would endure for generations.