The Truth about J.Randle Centre

By Q.

Once in a while, from the cacophony of misguided voices, emerges a note so discordant, so steeped in self-delusion, that it demands a response—not for its merit, but to preserve the sanctity of truth. Words, in Yorùbá culture, carry power, and when twisted to obscure reality, they become propaganda. Propaganda can be written by anyone, even fools.

Following an adventurous and culturally vibrant festive season in 2024, during which the J.Randle Centre for Yorùbá Culture and History achieved remarkable milestones, we returned from a well-deserved break to unexpected developments. A recent viral video has sparked widespread attention. As expected, a torrent of baseless accusations followed. I stayed aloof and chose the path of silence. While most were easy to dismiss, one particularly venomous voice bothered me because he claimed to be a stakeholder—a self-styled “Duke of Shomolu,” whose words demand correction, for posterity sake. He published his delirious open letter to Mr Governor in the Nigerian Guardian on 13th January, 2025, after littering various WhatsApp groups with it.

It takes a certain level of delusion to crown oneself a Duke in a place like Shomolu, but it takes even more to fling baseless accusations while basking in mediocrity. The good people of Shomolu must be of extraordinary patience, or they’ve perhaps given up on correcting this man’s self-imposed regency. Joseph Edgar, as he is otherwise known; is a failed investment banker, whose lifeline is in touting himself as “a serious stakeholder in the Art and Culture space”. But the real stakeholders know fully well that threading in certain environments carries with it an occupational risk, he is about to learn. He is no Duke but a Fluke of Shomolu—a jester propped up by those who thrive on sycophancy. The fluke’s slander against me and my wife betrays its source—a well-funded yet failed attempt to discredit us.

Progress Speaks Louder than Propaganda

To the fluke’s claim that I have failed to promote the J.Randle Centre: since its opening on November 4, 2024, the Centre has welcomed over 12,000 museum visitors and nearly 10,000 attendees to its Christmas Village. We’ve hosted historic events, film premieres, exhibitions, and special guests while earning recognition from The Guardian UK as one of 2025’s standout museums globally. Our work has garnered international attention, with features on platforms like DW (Germany) and Le Monde (France), and more to come. 

We recently announced The Mèsì, a high-profile, seven-member advisory board including luminaries such as the well celebrated Dr Bayo Akomolafe - a distinguished philosopher, Prof. Saheed Aderinto - a seasoned historian, Titi Ogufere - of Design Week Lagos, Tayo Bello - popularly known as Waa Sere, Niyi Akimolayan - arguably the most revered Nigerian filmmaker currently, Morenikeji Olowoyotan - a certified Yorùbá linguist and Wunmi Durosinmi Etti - popularly known as Chef Wu. The Centre has become a hub for innovation, antidisciplinary dialogs and collaboration, as well as cultural preservation, achievements that far exceed his limited imagination. Despite the immense challenges that we face, under my leadership the J.Randle Centre has continued to deliver strong results, demonstrating its immense potential.

The fluke’s major concern alleges that I sublet portions of the J.Randle Centre for personal profit, including running a “canteen” managed by my wife. We know of his handler's interest in the restaurant, I have none. What he and the torrent of misguided allegations disparaged as a “canteen,” was a legitimate three-week rental initiative during the festive season generating ₦600,000—all transparently documented into the Centre’s operations. My wife, Hajarat Alli, far exceeds the caricature of a “canteen manager” but one of the brightest arts managers in Nigeria today, a masters degree holder from a prestigious private school in Paris; a highly accomplished professional whose career spans international research, cultural administration, arts management, and human resources. Her 15-year career spans three continents, managing projects worth over $10 million. 

The Yorùbá proverb, “Arìnà kọ́fá kìí ṣẹgbẹ́ agbélé kọ́fá,” teaches that wisdom gained through travel far surpasses that acquired in isolation. I have dedicated 28 years of my life to the culture—not as a hobby or an afterthought that magically gushes after a failed career in banking or law, but as a life’s work. Born and raised in Surulere, Lagos, I began my journey into the arts at age 13 and went on to represent Nigeria’s cultural brilliance in over 60 countries. I have made and presented works in five continents, I have collaborated with global institutions, taught in international universities, curated award-winning performances internationally, and I have helped build a similar centre in the USA.

Together with my wife, we co-founded The QDance Center 11 years ago in Lagos, an organization that nurtured young Nigerian talent and elevated Lagos on the world stage, an experiment that became a globally recognised hub for creativity and talent development. In January 2024 we acquired a property in Lafiaji, Lagos Island, which we are currently transforming into our permanent building to be inaugurated in March 2025. If the fluke and his ilk can boast of a single comparable achievement in our both CVs, he would likely shout it from the rooftops. 

The fluke accuses me of audacity, and to this, I plead guilty. Audacity fuels innovation and allows us to carve out a space for Yorùbá culture on the global stage. But there is a distinction between the audacity of vision and the audacity of opportunism. The former builds; the latter leeches. Your venom, though crafted to sting, reveals more about your character than mine. You are no stakeholder. You are no critic, but a puppet, dancing to the strings of those who fear accountability, for a camera has always been an object of terror to those who seek to suppress truth. 

Under my visionary leadership The J.Randle Centre stands tall, a beacon of cultural excellence that will outlive the noise of slander. Like the Yorùbá heroes whose legacies we honour, I will continue my work undeterred. And as for your parting taunt—“Come and beat me”—I am not of the assaulting kind. Instead, I offer prayers. May the real stakeholders continue to dream boldly. May their voices, long silenced by charlatans, rise louder and more resonant. Let us summon the courage to defend our sacred stories, protect the spaces where they are told, and inspire future generations to honour their heritage.

The Audacity of the Stakeholders

The true stakeholders in the arts, culture, and tourism sector are interwoven with over two hundred million Nigerians in a shared garment of destiny—tattered and torn by terrible leaders and their opportunists, who seek to make us feel powerless, to surrender, to leave and let them trample over everything— but we won’t. Our sector is being mended and cleansed by the handful determined to see our culture flourish. The fact that we cannot save everything does not mean we cannot save anything, and anything we can save is worth saving. Pick up a piece of the world where it meets you and mend it. Rest if you must. Runaway if you must. But return to the principles that bind us to hope, to the solidarity that builds sanctuary against the storm. Our ancestors kept their faith through the boots of false power, through dictatorships, and through betrayals. And so shall we.

Keep your head when all about you lose theirs. Learn to walk with kings but never lose the common touch. Speak truth, even when it is twisted by fraudsters to trap fools. When all else fails, but the will to hold on—simply hold on. May we rise louder than the noise-makers, our integrity brighter than their lies. And may we summon the audacity to keep imagining a world they dare not believe is possible. Let us persevere, not because it is easy, or because we aren’t afraid, not because it feels good, but because it is the only way to honour those who came before us and those who will come after. Let us hold on. Together.

Politics is a full-time endeavour too, and I hold deep respect for those who approach it with diligence and integrity. It is my hope that we continue to appoint leaders who truly understand the transformative power of culture—not as decoration, but as a vital cornerstone for growth, a foundation for stability, and a wellspring for dreams. I pray for Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, whose vision for the creative and tourism space stands as a beacon of cultural transformation. May his vision to see a J.Randle Centre that outlives us all, and some petty ambitions, come alive. May his desire for a Lagos that values heritage and innovation guide his every decision.

Aṣẹ.

Qudus Onìkẹ̀kú