The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Museum

  • Hubert Ogunde museum opens April

    The family of the late doyen of Nigerian art, Hubert Ogunde, will be opening a museum in honour of the deceased. The gesture is to mark the 25th anniversary of the demise of the late icon of art and culture.

    Scion of the late sage, Bayo Ogunde, made this known when members of the National Troupe of Nigeria paid him a visit in his Ososa residence on Saturday, March 7.

    Ogunde said it is a thing of joy that the legacy of the actor, singer and filmmaker still lives, years after his passing. He announced that April 24 has been fixed for the celebrations.

    Artistic Director of the National Troupe, Akin Adjuwon, said that the body will be collaborating closely with the family on the opening of the museum. “I’m very impressed with the organisational strength of the family and it really strengthened my belief in the fact that the development of art in traditional African culture is pursued by families. Like Bayo Ogunde, the son of the doyen said today, the artistic calling is not a general one. What I saw today has just confirmed again that maintaining the memory of Hubert Ogunde in this family and the way they are organising the museum to become a tourist destination is one of our very strong focus,” he said.

    Accompanying the Director on the trip were Arnold Udoka, Head of Dance and Choreographer of the National Troupe; Hilary Elenu, Deputy Director in charge of Technical Services of the National Troupe; Bisi Ayodele, Head of Administration; artistes and some staff of the agency.

  • Museum as an agent of change, innovation

     

    Museum has been defined differently by scholars. It is a place where heritage materials are kept for display, learning and relaxation and have been seen as a non-profitable institution where people view and enjoy the display of cultural heritage. In 1979, ICOM defines museum as a non-profitable permanent institution in the service of the society and its developments, opened to the public, which acquires, conserves, researches, communicates and exhibits for the purpose of study, education and enjoyment, material evidence of man and his environment.

    In 2004, as a rejoinder at the Curators’ seminar in Calabar, Cross Rivers State, museum curators countered the non-profitable ICOM definition of museum since museums are now generating funds for their upkeep.

    Changerefers to outcomes, results, accomplishments or preconditions. It can also be defined as a passing from one phase to another thus making a variety. Innovation on the other hand means, a new way of doing something: incremental, radical and revolutionary, changes in thinking, products, processes or organizations. Innovations are ideas applied successfully: in organizational context; it is linked to performance and growth through improvement in efficiency, productivity, quality, competitive, positioning, market shares. All organizations try to be innovative in their operations: hospitals, universities, governments etc. As individuals, innovation occurs when someone uses an idea or invention to change the world outlook;how people organize and conduct themselves. Innovation is distinct from improvement in that it permeates society and causes reorganization. It is also distinct from problem solving but may cause problems, in this view, it has positive or negative results but it is generally understood as a successful introduction of a new thing or method.

    Innovation is therefore an embodiment of combinations, or synthesis of original knowledge, relevant, valued as new products, processes or services which begins with creative ideas. Innovation can fail if it is seen as an organizational process whose success stems from a mechanistic approach because it has an emphasis on control, enforcement and structure, but it is the only partial truth in achieving development and can be used to counter an organization’s orthodoxy. However, space for fair hearing of innovative ideas is required to balance the potential of auto-immune-exclusion that quells an infant innovative culture.

    A newly born child in Africa, Asia, America or Europe is born without knowledge or culture. Education is designed to guide such a child in learning a particular culture, model his/her behavior towards his eventual role in the society. In pre-literate societies with no formal learning system the entire environment the activities served as school while the adults served as teachers.

    As societies grow more complex the quality and quantum of knowledge to be passed on from one generation to another hence, the more selective means and efficient means of cultural transmission. The outcome of this is formal education: the school and the specialists called teachers. Overtime, societies grew more complex and schools became institutionalized, experiences gained therefore became far less directly related to daily life: less a matter of showing and learning in the context of the work a day world, abstraction from practices, distilling, telling and learning things out of contexts.

    The concentration of learning in formal atmosphere allows the child to learn his/her culture through observation and imitation. The society attaches more importance to education, in that it also began to formulate the overall objectives, content, organization and strategies for education giving birth to education as a distinguished discipline that is constantly being refined and redefined in various countries to meet national goals and aspirations.

    The museum has as part of its roles to the society the duty of transmitting cultural roles from generation to the other; therefore museum education is the transmission of cultural information of a given society from one generation to another using the platform of museum exhibitions. From museum inceptions, one of the fundamental objectives of the museum is to educate by using its collections and exhibits. Therefore, it follows that museum education is an in-depth transfer of pertinent “cult” information using museum exhibits, this process should not be evaluated in terms of what is imparted, but also on how it received and further transferred. Therefore, the aim of the museum education to foster contact between people (children or adults) and its exhibits, not to teach the facts alone but to sow a seed of interest and a spark of inspiration.

    Purposes of museum education are many, among which are: promotion of public awareness, developing the creative capabilities of the visitors, interpreting museum collections to all categories of people; promoting the museum institution as a centre of public learning. Museum’s educational role therefore is to liaise with formal education authorities when school curriculum and scheme are prepared. Museum education liaises with formal education authorities to enhancing the planning of school curriculum. It can also provide space for teaching groups of people within museum premises. In this wise, it help the informal learning system. It is the function of museum education to improve the provision of facilities for visitors particularly for schools, families and even disabled people.

    The museum is an educational resource centre that aids in the field of human learning. A Chinese proverbs says “a look is worth a thousand words”, illustrates the values of viewing, teaching and learning. Having resource materials at hand results in a more effective learning process of facts, information and skills in a short period of time than verbalization. When properly used, resource materials can facilitate the following supplying of a concrete basis for conceptual thinking they making learning more permanent through reality of experience and self-activity thereby developing continuity. Resources like motion pictures, museum objects etc contribute to the growth of meaning and concepts. First hand experiences not easily obtained elsewhere are gotten from the museum resources and display. Museums all over the world are replete with many resource materials ranging from educational, archeological, ethnological, architectural, and natural history materials. The museum is a vital element in establishing a national cultural identity and the transmission of cultural heritage. The museum is a repository for many kinds of research, and in most cases it has a well equipped libraries, life specimen manuscripts, research results often very useful as educational materials.

     

     

  • Smithsonian Museum hosts Lady Esther

    Smithsonian Museum hosts Lady Esther

    Lady Esther is guest o f Smithsonian  Museum, Washington DC in United States. The hand-painted dress depicting the historical situations across Africa will be displayed at the Smithsonian Museum of African Arts at Washington DC.

    As the first of its kind to be given such relevance at the globally-recognised Smithsonian Institute, Diamond Bank Plc. through her innovative product, Diamond Woman, celebrated the feat at the farewell reception in Lagos.

    Designed by Ms Patience Torlowei, a Nigerian designer, the dress was entered for and emerged winner of the Earth Matters Fashion Competition in February. Named Lady Esther, it is named in memory of designer’s departed mother and illustrates the historical situations across Africa, such as apartheid in South Africa, environmental degradation as a result of oil spillage in Nigeria and diamond mining in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Congo.

    Speaking in Lagos at the reception, Torlowei said:  “I named the dress in memory of my mum. I was inspired to do the painting of some misfortunes that had occurred in Africa. I am happy to have won the competition but I must confess my emotional attachment to the dress since I started making it.”

    According to the organisers, this is indeed a significant achievement for the Nigerian fashion industry as the Smithsonian Institute, founded in 1846, is a globally-recognised historical centre and is strategically located in the heart of the US – Washington DC.

    Dignitaries at the event included renowned accountant, Mr Akintola Williams, Ms Evelyn Oputu, Prof Pat Utomi, Lilian Unachukwu, Mrs Abba Folawiyo, Mrs Maiden Alex–Ibru and Seni Williams.

  • Museum hosts Limcaf exhibition

    Museum hosts Limcaf exhibition

    The Lagos Zone Exhibition of the Life In My City Art Festival (LIMCAF) opens at the National Museum, Onikan Lagos on Saturday a t 4 pm.

    Life In My City Art Festival aims to promote art pan-Nigeria through a yearly competition that offers young people an avenue to showcase and commercialise their productions, win handsome prizes and interact with the larger art community on a national and progressively international platform.

    LIMCAF also enables young artists to  express themselves on the state of their lived environment through their art.

    According to a statement by the Executive Director of LIMCAF, Mr. Kevin Ejiofor, Prince Yemisi Shyllon, renowned art collector and the founder / proprietor and of Lagos based Omoba Yemisi Adedoyin Shyllon Art Foundation (OYASAF) will be the special guest of honour at this second Lagos Zone Exhibition.

    The exhibition is one of the eleven such exhibitions in various zones around the country including Abuja, Ibadan, Kaduna, Jos, Auchi, Enugu, Calabar, Uyo Owerri and Port Harcourt.

    The best 100 works from these zones will be selected to be part of the one week Grand Finale Exhibition at the Nike Lake Resort Hotel Enugu from Monday the 21st of October. The climax of the festival will hold on Saturday  October 25, at the same venue where the top 25 works will win prizes, including the overall winner’s prize of N500,000 cash donated by Diamond Bank PlC.

    Meanwhile, a renowned art scholar and Professor of the Department of Art & Art History, St. Lawrence University, Canton, New York Prof  Obiora Udechukwu has paid glowing tribute to the Board and Organising Committee of the Life In My City Art Festival (LIMCAF), for what he called an unprecedented innovation in the promotion of art and art appreciation in Nigeria.

    Prof. Udechukwu spoke at a reception for him by the Board of LIMCAF hosted by Elder Dr. Kalu Uke Kalu CON, former Chairman of Union Bank of Nigeria and Chairman of the Life In My City Art Festival.

    Udechukwu who is one of the founders of the once premier art association, the Aka Circle and a famed proponent of the Uli School of the University of Nigeria Nsukka, particularly commended Chief Robert Oji who single handedly gave birth to the LIMCAF initiative through his Rocana Nigeria outfit, the Alliance Francaise Network and the French Embassy in Nigeria which gave him initial support as well as Diamond Bank PLC and the various organizations and individuals who have donated prizes. Udechukwu predicted the inevitable snowballing of this project into internationally significant art event and urged the Board and Organising Committee not to relent in their efforts.

    Chairman of the Board, Elder Kalu has thankedProf  Udechukwu  for his support for LIMCAF in various ways, including pointing the Board to various special persons and organisations who have made a great deal of difference in its growth over the past eight years of the struggle to expand and sustain the development of the project.

    Elder Kalu told Prof Udechukwu that the LIMCAF Board had big dreams for the project and solicited his continued support especially in seeking sponsorship from international organizations interested in the development of contemporary art in Africa. He noted that support was growing across Nigeria with such notable organizations and individuals as Senator Ayogu Eze,  the Justice Anthony Aniagolu family in Enugu , Bisi Silva’s Centre for Contemporary Art in Lagos and Mrs Mfon Usoro among others for endowing special prizes of LIMCAF.

    Notable connoisseurs and art personalities at the occasion included Chief  Robert Oji, founder of LIMCAF, Barrister Peter Eze,  Ayo Adewunmi Head of Design at the IMT Enugu School of Fine Arts, Obiora Amidi sculptor and Chair of the Enugu State Council For Arts and Culture and Bona Ezudu  of Bona’s Gallery, Enugu and the Director Alliance Francaise, Enugu Mr. Dominique Fancelli.

  • Amachree to open Museum of African Culture, History

    Amachree to open Museum of African Culture, History

    One of the foremost private tourism practitioners in country and former President of the Association of Tourism Practitioners of Nigeria (ATPN), Alabo Mike Amachree, is currently concluding plans to unfold a Museum of African History and Culture in Port Harcourt.

    Amachree, in a  chat with pressmen, said the establishment of the museum would be part of his contributions to the development of tourism in the country. He said the museum would also help in the efforts to raise the profile of Port Harcourt from being just the oil capital of Nigeria to a tourist destination.

    Amachree said the museum would house ‘artifacts, antiquities and relics of Nigeria and other African countries.

    “The Museum of African History and Culture that is currently in the pipeline, when completed, will avail Africans both at home and in the Diaspora the opportunity to know their history as well as to learn more about the slave trade,” he said.

    Amachree used the opportunity to emphasize the need to involve traditional rulers in the development of tourism in Nigeria as, he believed, this would help to boost tourism. He called on the government to develop the palaces of traditional rulers as this would serve as tourist sites

    He spoke further.: “There is a need to grow the knowledge of the younger generation in the history, culture and tradition of Africa. This is imperative in the development of tourism in the country.”

    Amachree, who has put more than four decades in his quest to develop tourism in the country which has seen him establish the first Abuja Carnival in 1990, second Port Harcourt Carnival in 1992, served as a board member  of the Nigerian Tourism Board in 1991 and  President of the ATPN for so many years, called for partnership between the government and private sector to move the industry forward.

    He said: “The government must provide infrastructural facilities, the enabling environment as well as necessary assistance for the sector to thrive. Tourism sector, if fully developed, is a major foreign exchange earner and employer of labour.”

    He decried the activities of insurgents in some parts of the country, saying “it is a disincentive in the area of attracting in-bound tourist.” He called on the Federal Government to do all within its power to find a lasting solution to the security challenge.

    He called on the youths to equip themselves with skills as these could put in  them good stead to serve in the tourism industry in the future.

    Speaking on the launching of his recent book, The Niger Delta Slave Trade Route, Amachree said it was a huge success and that the book was written to encourage reading and acquisition of knowledge, promising that some copies would be donated to tertiary institutions in the Niger Delta with the University of Port Harcourt as the first beneficiary.

  • Museum as agent of national unity and cultural integration (11)

    Museum as agent of national unity and cultural integration (11)

    The communal nature of the Nigeria life with roles to be played by both the living and the dead.

    The acceptance of re-incarnation as a fact of life.

    That the conducts of the ancestors could act as a form of social control to regulate individual and societal moral life.

    Fertility in traditional Nigerian societies

    In our traditional settings involving the entire ethnic groups, some festivals are done essentially to celebrate the god/goddess behind either a high yield production of farm crops or fertility in either man, animals, or plants. These gods are sometimes represented in carved wooden figures. During the celebration of these festivals, some objects are either worn or carried by the devotees of this god/goddess as their emblem or symbol of office.

    Yoruba sacred art is the point of contact with the invisible world forces. The sacred arts serve to focus and intensify worship by attracting spiritual forces with their aesthetic power. They are not only objects of worship but also they help to intensify and add focus on deities.

    Thus the belief is that “deities do not come because of the images but images come because of the deities. The ideal of sacredness of the objects is upheld because of the belief that the spirit reside within the article/objects.

    In Yoruba mythology, some deities are directly related either t human fertility or farm yield. When there is a need for increase farm yield or a child is being sought for a barren woman, it is believed that these deities, when appease, they can give either children or bountiful harvest, these deities include the following:

    Orisa Oko: The actual staffs are made of hoes beaten together, the staff is strongly associated with the power of the hoe and protects the fruits of the farm in the sense that should a man rob the farm, the staff will curse him to cut himself with his own hoe, cutlass or instrument of him.

     

    Sango Objects: Sango was the forth king of the Yoruba and was defied by his friends after his death. Sango ruled over all Yoruba including Benin, the Popos and Dahomey for the worship of him has continued in all these countries to this day. He was of very wild disposition, fiery temper and had a habit of emitting fire and smoke out of his mouth.

    Sango Double-Axe: The sculpture usually seems to suggest the union of worshippers with fire of the deity. The thunder god is usually believed by the devotee to grant the special gift of twins to the parents of the world. They also believed that Sango is the protector of the twins, thus the cult of the twins has an interpersonal relationship with the cult of Sango.

    Arugba Bowl Carrier: In the bowl carrier devotee keep Neolithic, Celts thought to be thunderbolts which Sango held’s in judgment upon who do not acknowledge his authority in their lives or are due for his righteous judgment.

    The fertility related festivals of the Igbos

    The fundamental element of action and value in the Igbo world is Ala or Ani who is the earth or land goddess. She is the basis of life. She is simultaneously, substance and spirit. The Centrality of Earth undoubtedly stems from the fact that agriculture is the economic mainstay while uncertain yields, dispute over farm lands and land tenure are resolved through her mediation which gives rise to her spiritual and legal sanctions.

    Agbogho-Mmanwu: The fame of Maiden “Udo Agbogho” A festival called the fame of maidens use Region of Eastern Nigeria. The festival is usually used in honoring important patron deity. During the festival adolescent female marks “Agbogho mmanwu” are featured. These male performances embody the ideals of youthful feminine beauty though in an exaggerated style.

    Ogbom – Headdresses: These are full figure headdresses worn in Ogbom dances. They are one of the finest Igbo works of Art. The Ogbom dance is known among many region of Eastern Nigeria. Ogbom displays honor “Ala” i.e. the earth. This projects her role in human and agricultural fertility and increase. The carvings are used to emphasize the connection of the ceremony with female productivity and nurture. The carvings are usually females with large full breasts; the absence of arm is to enhance the prominence of the breasts. Mostly often the Ogbom figures are young females seated on stools with often protruding bellies to depict fecundity. The Ogbom carvings might be only heads or single heads with a bar. Around the cylindrical base basket work are woven which enabled the carving to be strapped to the dancer’s head. Ogbom dance are danced in some areas without these figure.

     

    Fertility related object from the North: Mama (mangam) cap mask

     

    At the southern Jos Plateau near Wama line the Mama ethnic group people. They are good warriors with unique sculptural pieces. They have developed the most abstract sculpture of animal’s forms in Nigeria in form of Cap masks. They are mainly represented as bush cows used in fertility (Mangam) dance.

    The National Commission for Museums and Monuments established by Decree 79 of 1979 as the custodian of the nation’s cultural heritage has from its existence, champion the promotion of our cultural integration through its numerous exhibitions, establishment of Museums, creating awareness and reaching out to the communities on the importance of preserving our cultural heritage.

    Presently, the Commission through the leadership of Mallam Yusuf Abdallah Usman Director General with the cooperation of the Directors, management team and staff have been trying their best to move the Museum to the next level in partnership with other International bodies. It organising exhibitions, training programs for staff in order to enhance professionalism. Also, efforts are being made to partner with other stake holders to establish more museums both privately and state owned. More importantly, as agent of cultural transformation of Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan President of Federal Republic of Nigeria, the commission is strategically positioned to propagate the cultural transformation of the government.

    However, more still need to be done if we must reach that international standard as both the privates, NGOs, cooperate organisations and Government at all levels must join hands together to assist the NCMM as it is practiced in other parts of the world.

    This paper has attempted to draw the attention of all to the fact that Nigeria is not only rich but share a common cultural belief as regards its ancestral beliefs and fertility in its traditional society.

    Even in accepting other religious beliefs, Nigerians have not by any means abandoned these beliefs. In fact, they constitute the pragmatic and spiritual foundations on which Nigerians build their acceptance and practice of the new faiths. The belief has become, the dynamics of cultural and religious adaptation for the converting religions to take root and become meaningful to Nigerians. Finally, it is safe that Nigerian traditional beliefs will continue to be relevant in our quest for cultural integration irrespective of whatever religious dispensation the Nigerians find themselves. The objectives of this lecture is to show that not only does indigenous religion have its own ancestral beliefs, that the beliefs and concepts are the same across the country Nation which served as products of a well grounded cultural integration amongst the ethnic groups.

     

    •Onime is of the National Museum, Lagos

     

  • A Senator’s helping hand to National Museum

    A Senator’s helping hand to National Museum

    Senator Ayoade Adeseun one of the leading lights in the politics of Oyo State and a serving senator representing Oyo Central Senatorial district has again demonstrated his passion for historical records and monuments through his contributions to the development of the Ibadan National Museum and Monuments.

    Senator Adeseun did not only transform the House of Archives by ensuring infrastructural development, he has also established revenue yielding projects for the museum to boost its finances and also draw people’s attention.

    The curator of the Museum Mr Bode Adesina, who spoke with The Nation said, “Senator Adeseun’s name cannot be left out in the development we have witnessed in the museum, he has been very supportive before I came here and since I took over two years ago, we intimate him of our needs and he has really assisted us.

    “Through his assistance, the road within and leading to the museum has been tarred, he erected solar light in strategic places within the museum, he also assisted us in constructing a 1,000 capacity auditorium which is yet to be commissioned. He also constructed a new children play park which has really beautified the environment of the museum. This aside, anytime we have programs and we call on him for assistance, he is always available to assist. The new museum kitchen was also constructed by the lawmaker.”

    A recent visit to the museum revealed changes right from the entrance to the complex. The road linking the museum with the Alesinloye Market road which hitherto was not in good condition has been tarred even beyond the immediate vicinity of the complex, thanks to the quick intervention of the lawmaker.

    The premises of the museum were also tarred and solar electric light installed both inside and outside. The children recreation/fun park reputed to be one of the best in the city has also been equipped with modern facilities. The park according to Adesina is to complement the fun for the children who visited the museum.

    “When school children came to visit the museum they also have the chance to recreate and catch fun,” he said.

    While speaking on the 1,000-seater hall, the curator said the building which is yet to be commissioned houses among others one exhibition hall and another for Information and Communication Technology (ICT).

    “The main hall is for meeting while the two halls are for exhibition, the other one is for IT, where we will have electronics devices such as computer with internet facilities through which people can come and make research, we are poised to give the best and with the gestures from people like Senator Adeseun we are getting closer to our target”.

    One of the exhibition rooms housed the Chevrolet car used by the late premier of Western region, late Samuel Ladoke Akintola, the long wide black car is about 10feet long and 7feet wide. The registration number WNG 125 has been detached from the car while the interior of it is in pieces and it will be nice and serve the purpose it is meant for if the car can be fixed and restore back to its original form.

    Though the curator said the car was recovered  from a mechanic workshop where it was abandoned few year ago, the management of the museum is looking at what can be done to restore it to what it was and possibly transfer it to Ogbomoso home town of the late premier where it will compliment other monuments.

    Speaking on the impact of the new development on the museum, Mr Adesina said, apart from the fact that the physical structure of the museum has changed, the infrastructural development and others  have really enhanced the level of patronage by both local and foreign tourists, students, individuals, religious groups, associations and researchers among others.

    Adding he said: “We are trying to encourage schools to put museum visitation on their curriculum in order to visit us from time to time to appreciate the works of their ancestors, because it is important for our people to know their culture and tradition, in order for it not to go into extinction”.

    Senator Adeseun while baring his mind on the inspiration to upgrade the museum said: ”A museum, like we all know is a place of history. When I visited the National Museum in Lagos, I have a changed perspective about our country and region. I was moved when I saw monuments of past leaders and Head of States. It was touching and quite inspirational. I have not recovered from this life-time experience when I was approached to be part of history to immortalise one of the greatest pro-independent leaders of our time, a foremost nationalist, a former Premier of the old Western region and a true son of Ogbomosoland, Chief Samuel Ladoke Akintola.

    “Immediately, I also went on the spot assessment and sincerely I was touched and I felt nothing was too big a project to immortalise Ladoke Akintola. This singular act is to ensure our unborn children and generations to come read through history of great leaders who made Nigeria.

    “As somebody who has travelled far and wide, having visited almost all the continents in the world, on every visit to any country I make it a point of duty to visit the museum or any monumental place in such cities before leaving. As such, I have a broad and in-depth knowledge about leaders, culture and history of places I have visited and that gave birth to the little we have been able to do so far and we hope to do more. Our history and culture must not die.”

  • Telling Nigeria’s history without words

    Telling Nigeria’s history without words

    As the country prepares to celebrate her centenary in 2014, a museum where the nation’s history is told purely with pictures has been established.

    The pictures were assembled and used to tell the nation’s history from the 18th century till date.

    Located at Idimu, in Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos State, the museum is fast becoming a melting pot where Nigerians throng to learn the history of the country and see the pictures of the people that shaped it.

    The museum was put in place by James Raphael a media aid to former governor of Abia State, Orji Uzor Kalu during his first term tenure.

    He spoke about the benefits of the museum to the country especially as it celebrates its centenary next year. “The museum, as many people have acknowledged has photographs that would tell you the story of Nigeria better than what many people have read anywhere. It will help many people especially the young ones at this point that we are planning to celebrate our centenary to enrich their knowledge about the country’s history. It will also enable many to match what they have read in books with real life pictures.

    There are some pictures here that will make you discard what you have read and believe to be correct. For example, under the place where we have the pictures of heads of state and presidents, we have the photographs of Senator Nwafor Orizu . We all know and recognise him as a senate president but then we fail to realise that he was also an acting president. He was at a point a full time president because the prime minister was killed, the president, Dr Nnamdi Azikwe, was not in the country, so the total power was vested in him then. It baffles me why we don’t put him where he is supposed to be.

    “I am not just assembling photographs , I am trying to look at the history of Nigeria and document it in such a way that when the younger ones come, they can see something they can gain knowledge from. The Federal Government, individuals, students in particular, have a lot to gain from the museum. We have had many schools coming for excursion and they have all been thrilled. I want both the Federal Government and the Lagos State government to visit the museum and see the stories we tell with pictures. We have over 10, 000 photographs as I am talking to you now that are telling stories that many of us have either not heard of or cannot remember.

    “The Biafran handing over speech was signed on the booth of a Mercedes Benz. The Registration number is MA116. I have a photograph of the Benz in my museum. These are unique historical materials that the Federal Government should assemble in a place even for tourism. If we succeed in doing what we are planning to do, it is going to be the largest tourist centre in this country. We went for an exhibition recently and Professor Wole Soyinka and Governor Rotimi Amechi of Rivers State were thrilled when they saw our materials.”

    The chief executive officer of Centre for Research Information Management and Media Development (CRIMMD), said he birthed the idea after he lost his job as a media aid to the former governor.

    He recalled how it began thus: “ I took excuse from the government house in Umuahia to be with my wife who was going to have her first baby. While I was in Lagos I heard over the radio that the cabinet had been dissolved and that I was one of the people affected. At that point I stayed back with my family and tried to look for another job. I went to a popular newspaper house here in Lagos for a job. They interviewed me for the position of a business development manager but along the line I didn’t get the job. At that point, I asked myself that if I was willing to be employed as business development manager of another company, why not start my own company and work as the business development manager of my own organization.

    “Then my wife was running a fashion outfit. I convinced her to stay at home and take care of the baby while I managed the shop. So I took over her shop and started a research centre. The initial name was Centre for Research and Information Management (CRIM). After the first year of running the organisation, nobody approached me to ask me what I was doing. I didn’t get any research contract to do. I ended up running a business centre. It was in the course of running that business centre that I realised that students were coming with another person’s certificate, tipex the name on it and type their own name on it. They would make photocopy and would go and present such certificate somewhere for employment.”

    Continuing, he said: “At that point, I felt it would be better to get people into the habit of reading and understanding what they have read rather than just going to school to get a certificate. Instead of me to make a noise that we don’t read, I thought of creating an avenue for people to have access to what they want to read. That was how the concept of starting a free reading library came up. I started with a few books I had at home rented a bigger place and moved those books there. I started encouraging people to come and read free. Although it took time to convince people but by the time people got used to it, I discovered that I have over 7000 registered members between the time I started to the time I moved to my new office complex. Today, I feel happy when I come across people who say thank you to me for using my library when they were preparing for one examination or the other.”

    He went further to explain how he sourced for the over 10, 000 photographs that dot every part of the museum. “Along the line, I discovered that the more I bought Nigerian history books, I kept seeing some photographs of people I didn’t know about. I started asking that if at my level as a researcher I didn’t know those people, what would happen to the generations that are coming up. If we have this poor reading habit, you will discover that the best way to read is by looking at photographs. Most of the time, the photographs you see leave a lasting impact on you as you grow older more than the things you read in the book. That was how the whole concept came in. but then, I didn’t have the fund because it is capital intensive. I started generating the photographs by going to the National Archives in Kaduna, and Enugu. I visited the former Eastern State Information Services in Umuahia, now known as Abia State Information Services. When I realised that I had about 5000 photographs we rented an office and the people that came when we started marvelled when they saw some of these pictures,” he stated.

  • Revitalising Nigeria’s museums and monuments

    Museums and monuments wherever they exist, are repositories of knowledge and information where high profile treasure troves are being kept and adequately preserved to serve as archives of cultural heritage for tourists’ attraction or for students of history to use as a symbol of reference. They equally serve as outfits for showcasing the identity and cultural heritage of a certain creed, in such a way that one is not often subjected to the rigours of research in knowing the genuine identity of a certain clan, race or ancestral root of one, at a given time.

    Knowing the complex nature of Nigeria as an entity which comprises so many regions, tribes and their respective pedigrees, one is compelled to believe that the National Commission for Museums and Monuments must be headed by a man who is intellectually versed and proficient to steer its affairs properly.

    With what had transpired in the last four eventful years at the National Commission for Museums and Monuments under the stewardship of Yusuf Abdullah Usman, the commission had recorded some monumental feats and at the same time protected, preserved and promoted Nigerian antiquities not in a manner of school-master disputation but through consultation, engagement and buy-in of all shades of stakeholders. This is critical as culture is a social product that can only be preserved and promoted with the involvement of the people.

    As a former Director of Monument, Heritage and Sites, former Curator of some National Museums and Head of the Ethnography Unit of the Commission, Usman on assumption of office envisioned the pressing need to host a retreat to diagnose the challenges facing the management of our national heritage resources in general and the commission in particular and come up with some salient points to be addressed, all toward revitalizing the sector.

    The historic retreat, which was in line with the quest for a paradigm shift with culture spearheading developmental initiatives through optimum utilization of resource, brought all the Directors and their Deputies, Unit museums Curators and that of Institute of Archeology and Museums Studies Jos. (IAMS).

    The immediate result of this intellectual exercise was the convening of a workshop involving past managers of the commission such as former chairmen, board members, Directors-General, Directors and unit heads as well as university lecturers to review the law establishing the commission in order to strengthen the legal and administrative framework for heritage management in the 21th century. The outcome of this review is currently receiving the attention of government before submission to the National Assembly for legislation.

    To promote museums practice, sensitize stakeholders on its importance and capture the attention of policy makers, a series of exhibitions need to be carried out to expose the cultural richness of Nigeria. The commission under Usman’s leadership did just the same as it held exhibitions in three major European cities of London, Stockholm and Frankfurt and U.S cities of Houston, Virginia and Indianapolis which helped to modify Nigeria’s image outside oil.

    At home a series of exhibitions were also carried out by all of the Commission’s 45 museum outlets with a new focus to serve as educational resource centres. The themes include Integrity and Sacrifice: the life and time of Late Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa, in Bauchi; Nigerian Art in the Circle of Life in Lagos; Kano City Walls and Gates: Past, Present and Future, in Kano and; Slavery and Slave Trade in Calabar. Meanwhile the construction of four National Unity Museums planned after the civil war and abandoned several years ago after those of Ibadan and Enugu have been continued with that of Maiduguri nearing completion.

    As a way of combating looting of archaeological and heritage sites and illicit trafficking of antiquities community museums are currently under construction in Ogbomosho, Shelleng, Orumba and Oke Surulere. My findings also indicate that research was given a new impetus as results publicized in four new publications. These are: Mapping of Archaeological Sites, Ethnography for Development, Selection and Installation of Traditional Rulers and Kola nut as Symbol of National Unity. Three new journals are also ready for public presentation early next year.

    Out of Usman’s penchant for establishing a firm presence of the commission in Abuja, he submitted formal request for the construction of National Museum in Abuja in addition to securing grant of a new office accommodation in Abuja and movement of part of the headquarters close to the seat of power at the federal secretariat.

    To achieve diversification and specialization of museums in Nigeria, two museums for Nigeria’s foremost archaeological sites have been established in Nok and Igbo Ukwu, the later with the support of Kaduna State government. Similarly a Natural History Gallery has been set up at National Museum Jos, a Rock Art Interpretation Centre in Birnin-Birnin Kudu, Jigawa State and a Craft Museum in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom. Meanwhile Christian Missionary Museum in Calabar and an Islamic Art Museum in Ilorin are in the offing.

    To properly manage heritage sites in Nigeria and enlist more sites into the world heritage list, the commission had vigorously effected a review of management plans and inauguration of management committees for Osun- Osogbo and Sukur World Heritage Sites. Dossiers on Oke Idanre, Surame, Oban Hills and Kano Walls are undergoing review before submission to UNESCO while 100 new sites have been selected for national listing.

    Knowing the inescapable fact that the giant feats recorded by the commission can only be consolidated by improving staff welfare for productivity to prevail, Usman effected the payment of transfer claims on a continuous basis in addition to lending credence to the payment of death benefits and repatriation allowances also on a continuous basis. He also established a special committee to address complaints on promotions and ensure prompt and up to date promotion of staff. Staff Training within and outside the country has more than doubled while the Commission’s training arm, the IAMS in Jos now enjoys enhanced salary scale of CONRISS.

    No doubt NCMM has enjoyed enhanced visibility in the last four years. Many organizations, states and local governments are approaching the commission for support to establish museum, notably the Nigerian Air force, Custom Service, the Police, Central Bank of Nigeria, Federal Inland Revenue Service, etc.

    It was Usman’s contention that all that he had achieved and the turbulent waters he had traversed in giving the commission a new vista was as a result of the firm support and goodwill he had enjoyed from a crop of dedicated and hard working staff, the President through the Minister of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, the National Assembly, sister parastatals and various communities in the country.

    Usman, has indeed brought a breath of fresh air to the National Commission for Museums and Monuments which had endeared him to the majority of those who had worked under him and the President who had given him the task. The giant strides recorded in the commission so far is concrete evidence while the prestigious Award of Excellence conferred on Mr Y. A. Usman by the Fiscal Transparency and Accountability Initiative is an eloquent testimony.

    • Preye, a culture expert, wrote from Gwarimpa Estate, Abuja.

     

  • Museum Commission lists 100 new monuments, sites

    The Director-General of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM), Malam Yusuf Abdallah, in Dutse said the commission had listed 100 new monuments and sites across the country.

    Abdallah made the disclosure at a five-day stakeholders’ sensitisation workshop on the declaration of monuments and sites in the North-West geo-cultural zone.

    He said the 100 new monuments and sites would be declared open for use to commemorate the country’s centenary and anniversary of the amalgamation of the Northern and Southern protectorates.

    “The commission has proposed 18 national monuments in the north-west geo-cultural zone.

    “Six of the monuments were proposed in Kano State, four in Kaduna State, three in Katsina State, two in Sokoto State and one in Jigawa, Kebbi and Zamfara respectively,’’ the director said.

    Abdallah said Nigeria has a total of 65 declared national monuments in 22 states at the moment.

    He urged all the states of the federation to expedite action on declaring cultural property as their state monuments.

    Also commenting, Alhaji Abubakar Abdullahi, who represented the Emir of Dutse at the occasion, commended the commission for proposing one of the new monuments for the state.