Date: 2021-06-04

·Gov AbdulRazaq explains why govt built Museum road

The Esie Museum in Kwara State is a wonderful discovery that is a world class tourist attraction, French Ambassador to Nigeria Jerome Pasquire has said.

"I am very happy to be here. I have never heard of Esie Museum before. It is really a wonderful discovery. It is a world class museum, which deserves to be well-known across the world," Pasquire told newsmen in Esie, in Irepodun local government area of the state, shortly after his tour of the Museum alongside Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq on Wednesday where an asphalt road leading to the historical site was also commissioned.

Pasquire promised to encourage France nationals to visit the museum for various artefacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical importance.

"I shall try to inform many people from France and I can advise them to come here to see this museum. Even with the new road that the Governor just commissioned it will help people to come and see this museum. It is very unique in this region and even in the world. It can be a world class tourist attraction in Kwara," he said.

On his two-day visit to Kwara State, the French Ambassador said he was impressed with the developmental strides of the AbdulRazaq administration in the last two years.

"Within my two days of visit, I have seen so many new projects. I was impressed when I saw projects on rural development, the innovation hub, Ilorin Visual Arts Centre and we also saw some technical institutes. We saw the big BUA Sugar Company in the north of the state. What is important for Nigeria is more projects and more development and I am very impressed with what I saw here," the envoy added.

Governor AbdulRazaq, for his part, explained that the construction of the Esie Museum road in Irepodun local government was part of the administration's integrated approach to engineer socioeconomic and cultural development and make Kwara the new investment destination.

"National Museum Esie is a federal government project. What we have done is to construct a new road leading to it. This will also encourage more people to visit and open the economic space. We will be working with the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture under Alhaji Lai Muhammad to make sure the right infrastructure is put in place and existing facilities upgraded," he said.

"This is the first museum in Nigeria and from today onward it will be more known that Esie is on global map. That is the whole idea."

AbdulRazaq commended the French Ambassador for his interest in attracting tourists to Esie Museum and other partnerships with the state government.

"We thank the French Ambassador to Nigeria for leaving the highway and come down to Esie personally to see what is here," the Governor said.

Rafiu Ajakaye

Chief Press Secretary to the Governor

June 3, 2021