Celebrating Railway Heritage

A 1930s cast iron red mailbox in the headquarters of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, the iconic name sign on Abeokuta’s train platform and the recognisable features of rural train stations with similar architecture all over Nigeria: the pictures exhibited under the neem trees in the residence of the British Deputy High Commissioner in Lagos spoke to the audience in many different ways.

The attendees were brought together on January 31 by a shared interest in the heritage of the Nigerian Railway. They were hosted by the British Deputy High Commissioner in Lagos, Ben Llewellyn-Jones. The exhibition showcased the outcomes on a collaborative project between Legacy, Oxford University and the Nigerian Railway Corporation, documenting an digitising the history of the railways.

The exhibition rounded up a round table event with key stakeholders from the transport and heritage sector, researchers and academics, Lagos State Government policymakers and British Business Groups in Nigeria. They discussed how to preserve, promote and utilise Nigeria’s built railway heritage and its rich history in ways that will both educate the Nigerian public and provide economic development.