The Nation Newspaper

Tag: NCMM

  • NCMM pledges repatriation of Oyo artefacts, promises revamp of state museum

    NCMM pledges repatriation of Oyo artefacts, promises revamp of state museum

    The Director-General of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM), Mr. Olugbile Holloway, has pledged to intensify efforts to repatriate Oyo artefacts, following the successful return of Benin artifacts, while also promising a turnaround for the Oyo Museum.

    Holloway made the commitment on Tuesday during a courtesy visit to the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade, at his Boroboro residence. He was accompanied by Oyo patriot Adetayo Adekunle, as well as the curators of Oyo and Ibadan Museums, among others.

    Speaking at the event, Archbishop Emeritus Ayo Ladigbolu recounted the 1895 British invasion of Oyo by Captain Robert Bower, known as the “Ogun-Pepe” war. He highlighted that stolen Oyo artifacts carry immense cultural, spiritual, and historical significance for the Yoruba people, serving as tangible links to the legacy of the Oyo Empire.

    Ladigbolu added that the removal of these artifacts during colonial conflicts represents both a historical injustice and a loss of cultural identity for the originating community.

    “The artifacts are not merely art objects; they are cultural symbols essential for the preservation of heritage and identity.

    “Like the Benin bronzes, many African artifacts are considered ‘living cultural heritage’ with spiritual and ritual significance.

    “Their presence is crucial for traditional ceremonies, festivals (such as the Sango and Oranmiyan festivals), and the overall spiritual well-being of the community.

    “The objects provide historical context and validation for the heritage and culture of the pillaged communities. When removed, this context is lost, turning items of profound local meaning into mere museum exhibits in Western institutions without historical significance.”

    He stressed the need for a repatriation of the artefacts looted during the raid.

    Also speaking, Mr. Adekunle spoke on the need for an Infrastructural upgrade of the Museum located at the Oyo Palace.

    In his address, Oba Owoade said the Oyo Empire was a formidable political and military stronghold, renowned for its administrative sophistication and cultural influence, as its artifacts, including sculptures, regalia, and other items, document the history, political transitions, and daily life of this powerful era.

    “The removal of these artifacts, often as ‘plunder’ or ‘war trophies’ during 19th-century British punitive expeditions and military campaigns, is a direct result of colonial aggression. They are physical reminders of the means by which Britain established trade dominance and amassed colonies.

    “Alaafin is the traditional custodian of these traditions, serving as a bridge between the past and the future of the Yoruba people””.

    Alaafin asserted that his ongoing efforts to reclaim stolen Oyo artifacts are part of a broader, global movement to redress historical injustices and restore cultural property to his place of origin.

    According to him, “Their return symbolizes a step toward cultural rejuvenation and national pride. The return of these objects is seen as essential for Nigeria’s development, as valuing local cultural assets is key to economic growth through cultural tourism and the empowerment of local communities.

    “About 16 gold-plated beaded crowns were stolen during the dastardly raid of the Palace in November 1895. These artefacts are cultural symbols and carry spiritual and historical significance, and their return is essential for the preservation of heritage and identity.”

    Reiterating his readiness to ensure artefacts taken away by the British in 1895 were returned to the kingdom, the monarch vowed that he would make sure that the artefacts taken away by the British in 1895 were brought back with some payments.

    It would be recalled that Benin artefacts were repatriated to the country and handed over to the Oba of Benin.

    Oba Owoade, therefore, gave his royal blessings to the Visitor and charged him to deliver on all assurances given as quickly as possible. 

  • NCMM, IGA sign landmark memorandum to develop Nigeria’s cultural heritage trail

    NCMM, IGA sign landmark memorandum to develop Nigeria’s cultural heritage trail

    The National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM), Nigeria’s regulatory body for heritage management, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with IGA Nigeria Limited to develop a Cultural Heritage Trail Framework across the country.

    This landmark agreement highlights a shared commitment to protecting and promoting Nigeria’s rich cultural heritage through a structured and sustainable approach.

    Under the MoU, NCMM and IGA will collaborate to integrate IGA’s Stakeholder Call to Action framework in reviewing and updating Nigeria’s National Tentative List. 

    This initiative aims to enhance site identification and preservation by leveraging cultural heritage trails as a key tool for heritage management.

    The initial rollout will focus on the Southwestern states Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ekiti, and Ondo where IGA has existing consultancy engagements. Lagos and Osun will serve as pilot locations before broader national implementation.

    By signing this MoU, NCMM reaffirms its dedication to expert-driven strategies for heritage conservation and sustainable tourism development, reinforcing Nigeria’s position as a custodian of its cultural legacy.

  • Art can serve as Alternative to Crude Oil – Obaseki

    Art can serve as Alternative to Crude Oil – Obaseki

    The Governor of Edo State, Mr Godwin Obaseki, has said that Art is assuming a new place of importance in national discourse and can be developed as an alternative source of income to crude oil.
    He said this during the opening of the Exhibition Gallery at the National Museum Benin by the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM) in collaboration with the Edo State Government, and the Smithsonian Institute, United States of America, on Friday, in Benin City.
    Obaseki said he accepted to be the first Nigerian Commissioner in Venice Art Biennale, which is like the Olympic for the Art, and accepted to represent Nigeria to draw the link between art, Nigeria and Benin City.
    He noted that it was the first time the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art, in the United States of America (USA), was hosting and housing an exhibition on the African continent. He said the exhibition would add value to the quest to develop cultural and tourist sites in the state.
    “The role of a museum as a tourist centre cannot be overemphasised especially as a state known for its artistic and cultural heritage. As a state, we have a good international image in the area of art, following centuries of creative work of excellence,” the governor said.
    The Director-General of NCMM, Yusuf Abdallah Usman, commended Governor Obaseki’s support for the laudable project, and stressed that “this is a departure from the experience with past state governors.”
    The United States Ambassador to Nigeria, William Stuart Symington, described the event as an “extraordinary moment, as it is the first time in the history of the America’s great national museum, Smithsonian Institute, that we have brought an exhibition to the continent of Africa.”
    “We are not just bringing the images here. This is not just art, but Benin art and images. And today, they are brought back home,” he said.
    The Oba of Benin, Omo N’ Oba N’ Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Ewure II, said Benin artworks are largely rituals, some are used for recording history, to place on record events that happened in different periods in Benin History.
    A representative of the Oba, the Iyase of Benin Kingdom, Chief Sam Igbe, said the Benin artworks gained prominence in Europe in 1897 after the Kingdom was attacked by the British soldiers, who later took the artworks to Europe.
    The high point of the event was the launching of the book “Fragile Legacies,” the photographs of Solomon Osagie Alonge, and a tour of the exhibition area by governor Obaseki.
     
  • Museum workers lay siege over salary structure, victimisation

    Museum workers lay siege over salary structure, victimisation

    WORKERS of the National Commission for Museum and Monument (NCMM) on Friday laid siege to the office located in Wuse in Abuja, over alleged victimisation by the management, lack of implementation of the required salary structures for workers and non-payment of arrears.

    The workers under the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Service Employees (AUPCTRE) further accused the management of NCMM for allegedly refusing to implement the CONRAISS salary structure.

    The workers, who have been on strike for the past two months, also accused the management of refusing to pay their arrears and alleged victimisation of union members, which led to the suspension of their Secretary, AUPCTRE, NCMM chapter, Comrade Adogah Abdullahi, three months ago.

    Head of Department, Industrial Relations of AUPCTRE, Comrade Ayeoribe Akin, threatened that if the management refuses to bow to their demands, the picketing of the office will continue picketing indefinitely.

    He said: “Sometime in 2010, we wrote to the management that this institution is a research institution and the workers should be paid CONRAISS. It was a tug of war and they eventually agreed and we took it to the ministry, which agreed. But unfortunately after the ministry submitted our report to the Wages and Salaries Commission, up till now, our management has not shown any readiness to comply.

    “Other allowances are also pending. We have reminded them several times but as much as we are demanding, they are denying us. Last year, we embarked on a strike which lasted for some time until the intervention of the National Assembly. But rather than address these issues, they have gone ahead to suspend the Secretary of NCMM. This victimisation must stop!

    The management of NCMM has, however, denied some of the allegations. Its Director of Administration and Supply, Barrister Emeka Onuagbu, said Adoga was suspended because he breached the public service rules, in addition to committing other infractions.

    He added, “To the best of the management’s knowledge, we have about three or four issues raised by the union and we have virtually met all the conditions. On the issue of CONRAISS, they have been part of this CONRAISS policy with the Salaries and Wages Commission.

    “We met with the Minister of Culture and Tourism and a committee was set up to get the CONRAISS for the commission and at the end of the day, a report was written by the committee comprising the management of the commission, ministry and the union and submitted to the ministry and thereafter to the Salaries and Wages Commission and since then we have been following the development.”

     

    “When this management came on board, there was no CONRAISS in the commission. It was the relentless efforts of the management that made the government release the CONRAISS structure to the commission, since then, we have been pursuing the CONRAISS for everybody in the commission. This is about salary and the ultimate approval will come from the Federal Government and not the Commission.”

     

  • US museum returns stolen Nigerian antiquities

    US museum returns stolen Nigerian antiquities

    Looted Nigerian antiquities which are scattered across the globe are gradually finding their way back to Nigeria as a result of the efforts the National Commission for Museum and Monuments (NCMM) are putting to recover the ancestral objects. The recent recovering are 18 seizures at Seme border, Benin Republic by the Nigerian Custom Service, and eight repatriated from Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, United States of America (USA).

    For four years NCMM has been working vigorously to see that the looted ancestral objects are brought back to Nigeria, its country of origin. A project they called sharing and collaborating. So far they have succeeded in retrieving 100 objects from countries such as USA, France, Germany, Britain, Switzerland, Canada etc including their recent achievement of recovered 26 collections, making it 126  artworks since they started the assignment. However, some Nigerians are making the hard work of the commission more difficult as they cart away these historical cultural objects outside the country. This was the case last month where some individuals outside the country were caught at Seme Border with some objects as they could not prove ownership of the artworks.

    In this regard, the Minister of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, Chief Edem Duke, last week during a preview session of the 26  objects at the National Museum, Lagos, called the attention of the public to be watchful of such activities because it’s a crime in Nigeria to traffic artworks. Duke, therefore, urged Nigerians to protect and preserve their priceless heritage even though the objects belong to NCMM. He said: “I wish to emphasise that it is prohibited by law to engage in illegal trafficking of our cultural objects. The criminal act of illegal trafficking of our tangible cultural objects is an economic sabotage to the cultural development of our country.

    “As people that value their Cultural Heritage in high esteem, it is our primary responsibility to ensure the protection, security and safety of these priceless antiquities,” Duke said. He expressed his gratitude to Nigerian Custom Service for their good work and the Museum of Fine Art, Boston, USA for returning the eight antiquities to Nigeria.

    According to the Director General of NCMM, Mr Yusuf Usman the eight returned artworks from US are pieces distributed to Boston Museum Fine Art from the estate of an undisclosed African collector now deceased. “In our continuing effort at the restitution and return of our cultural property, we have over the years been in co-operation with many institutions including intergovernmental organisations such as United Nations Education, Science and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) involvement in the fight against illicit trafficking of cultural property.

    “About four years ago we started what we call sharing and collaborating rather than confrontation with Europe Museum on the need to jointly find a way of resolving our differences concerning the holding of Nigerian antiquities in Europe Museum”

    The beautiful, ageless bronze, terracotta and wood works, which have  historical patterns and untold stories of Nigeria are: Nok Bronze, Terracotta Head, Nok Male Figure, Ife Head, two Benin head (terracotta) Benin figure and Kalabari Screen Figure (eight returned from USA), Igboukwu lidded pot, Benin Bronze Bell, Queen Mother Memorial Head, Kneeling Female Figure, Kneeling Female Worshipper, Portuguese solder, Benin Bronze Leopard, Seated Benin Chief, Standing Flutist, Bronze Python, Benin Memorial Head, Bronze Drum, Bronze Leopard, Bronze Plaque depicting Portuguese Soldier, Benin Bronze Messenger, Standing Bronze Figure of Ife Chief, Bronze Leopard and Igboukwu Lidded pot  (eighteen seizures at Seme), are correctly on displayed at the National Museum, Lagos, for public viewing.

  • Commission says museums are not shrines

    Commission says museums are not shrines

    The National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM) has said that museums in the country are not shrines but tourism sites, contrary to the beliefs of some people.

    Malam Abdallah Usman, the Director-General of NCMM said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Abuja.

    “There is need to correct the misconception that museums in Nigeria are shrines, where idols are being glorified and worshipped,” he said.

    Usman said that the perception had affected the nation’s museum as parents do not find it suitable taking their children to museums for tourism.

    The commission’s boss said that a lot of publicity was needed to correct the impression, while calling on the media to help inform the citizenry and salvage the nation’s museum from collapsing.

    He said that the commission had embarked on sensitisation to correct such impression, adding that it would not do anybody any good to equate museums with shrines.

    Usman said that the museums served as tourists’ centres to showcase what the country has to the rest of the world in terms of artefacts.

    He said that every state in the country was expected to have at least one museum, adding that there were also specialised museums like traditional architecture museum, which were suitable for sightseeing for members of the public. .

    According to him, the commission has 48 museums across the country and some states like Osun, Ondo, Gombe, among others have two.

    He said that the commission was working on a programme to establish a museum in the states that do not have, including one for the nation’s capital.

    Usman disclosed that the commission has 100 monuments across the country, but stated that only 65 had been classified because of their functions and significance in terms of artefacts or history.

    He called on the Federal Government to provide security in all the museums across the country, adding that the commission had to rely on community policing to provide security at the museums to avoid theft of the items.

    “What we have is priceless and must not be allowed to be stolen by unscrupulous elements who want to sell our heritage,” he said.

  • Obu House: Artifact disappear from NCMM monument site

    Obu House: Artifact disappear from NCMM monument site

    The Obu House in Idi Anaga Compound, Elu Ohafia, Abia State,1 is a historical monument under the National Commission for Museum and Monument (NCMM). It houses some priceless artifacts. Tourists from within and outside the country troop to the site to see some of these ancient relics. But the place is currently crumbling and may soon collapse. As if that is no enough, some of the artifacts have also been stolen. Okorie Uguru recently visited the site

     

     

    The Obu House which the indigenes of Ohafia refer to as Obu Ndi Anaga in Elu, Ohafia Council Area of Abia State, is a tourist site with priceless artifacts. The monument has been attracting tourists to Ohafia for many years. It houses artifacts that are hundreds of years old.

    A replica of some of the artifacts in Obu House is close to 10 feet wooden artwork that adorns the entrance of the National Museum, Onikan, Lagos.

    However, Obu House is currently on the brink of extinction as a result of neglect by the NCMM and the activities of a syndicate artifact robbers that are currently pillaging Ohafia and carting away priceless artifacts.

    To understand the Obu House and its artifacts, one has to understand some ancient tradition of the Ohafia people.

    In the olden days, the Obu of every clan was very important in the life of the comunities. Community meetings and rituals were held in them. Activities that took place in the Obu help to protect certain societal values of the people of Ohafia.

    The Obu Anaga served many purposes. it was the place where war strategies and other kinds of adult meetings were held. It was also a place were Ndi Anaga clan held sacred celebrations.

    There was a special ceremony by the Ndi Anaga clan where sacred pot of soup and fufu bowl would be cooked and brought into the house. All the male adults of the clan would come and dip their hands and eat from the same pot. Normally, before the commencement of the festitvity, the deities of the land would be appeased for protecting the clan and prospering them with bountiful harvest from their farms. The reason for the adult eating from the same pot was that if any clan member poisoned his kinsman or slept with another kinsman’s wife were to eat from the pot, the person would die within a year. The Obu created a kind of bond of unity among the Ndi Anaga people and also served as a check against any one committing evil in the clan.

    Inside the Obu are priceless carved wooden art works that are as old as the founding of Ohafia. The carved works are about six in number. There are two tall ones that held the thatched roof of the mud house with four extra that support the first two. These wooden supports are ancient art works with motifs on the body that depict different aspects of day to day life of the Ohafia people in the olden days.

    When this reporter visited the Obu last Sunday, the site was in a deplorable condition. The wooden gate, about three feet which serves as a gate to the place, had given way. The metal corrugated roofing sheet used to protect the Obu House is gradually peeling and falling off from the roof. The artifacts are exposed to the elements. There are gaping holes inside the house whereby rain water penetrates to further damage the priceless work inside and accentuates the process of decay and distruction of the artifacts.

    Inside, the priceless ancient wooden artworks are gradually being damaged by the elements. Some unscrupulous elements had cashed in on the present state of the Obu to steal one of the priceless art works.

    Chief Eke Kalu, who spoke to this reporter on the state of the monument was the former keeper of the house. He said if the NCMM were alive to their responsibilities, it would not have allowed the place to digenerate to such level. “It is really in a deplorable condition and needs urgent attention. The roof is partly off and at the mercy of the elements. It may not survive this raining season if nothing is done.”

    Elu town, the host community, has also put in place a committee to look after the monument in the absence of the NCMM. The head, one Mr. Agbai Oti said they had written several letters to draw the attention of the NCMM but nothing had been done so far. He said the curator of Umuahia Museum, one Mr. Nwaneri had visited the place but so far nothing has not changed. “We have written to the curator to tell him that the place is crumbling . We have written two to three letters and nothing has been done,” he said.

    This writer later called the curator of NCMM, one Mr. Nwaneri on the stolen artifact and the state of the monument. He said he had visited the place for an on the spot assessment and promised that renovation works would commence this month.

    On the inability of the NCMM to secure the place leading to the loss of artifacts, he said the museum has no staff on ground to take care of the monument and that NCMM was partnering with the host community. He said it was individuals within the community that stole the artifacts and that it had been recovered.

    However, the community said the artifacts have not been recovered, even though there are some people who are suspected of having a hand in the disappearance of the stolen artifact.

    The Obu Ndi Anaga was taken over by the Naitional Commission of Museum and Monuments (NCMM) in 1961. Between then and 2006, NCMM employed an attendant who did not only act as a tour guide to tourists visiting the site but was also responsible for the day to up keep. All these was to change when the keeper was disengaged from the employwmnt of the NCMM leaving the site without direct keeper. The curator of the National War Museum , Umuahia was supposed to supervise the place, but that has not been the case. The visits of NCMM officials to the monument have been infrequent and had yielded little or no positive result for the place.

    Mr. Agbai Oti, the leader of the community committee on the museum said the the nation risks losing the anceint works if nothing is done urgently.

    He said the people of Elu Ohafia are calling on the NCMM to renovate and secure the place to avoid the rest of the artifacts from being stolen.

     

  • Forgotten monuments

    •Collapse of Bauchi wall reminds us of the need to regularly maintain such structures

    THE preservation and maintenance of historic buildings and monuments is rigorously undertaken by most serious nations. Apart from their great antiquity and tourist value, they are often regarded as encapsulating the norms and beliefs that countries hold dear. As in so many other aspects of national development, however, Nigeria seems to be an exception to this general rule. The recent collapse of the historic Bauchi wall is a case in point.
    Built around 1804, the wall is an outstanding example of indigenous architectural and engineering skill, and served primarily to protect the equally-historic Galadiman Bauchi House in the Bauchi State capital. It collapsed at about noon, falling on to nearby houses, resulting in the deaths of two persons and injuries to about four. Witnesses at the scene attribute the tragedy to a heavy downpour on the previous day.
    This was a tragedy waiting to happen. A wall of such size and age should have been subjected to regular checks of its structural integrity, especially given its historic importance. It is also clear that little or nothing was done to prevent houses being built too close to it. The blame for this oversight must be placed at the door of the National Commission of Museums and Monuments (NCMM), the Bauchi State Government and the local government council within which the wall is domiciled.
    The NCMM is a Federal Government parastatal tasked with the duty of ensuring that the country’s monuments and historical buildings are kept in good condition and raising public awareness about them. The collapse of the Bauchi wall is a clear demonstration of the lack of efficiency which it brought to its job. A serious organisation would have established a regimen of periodic checks and inspections aimed at ensuring that the wall and other monuments are kept in good condition and open to visits by interested members of the public. Indeed, given the general dilapidation of city walls and similar structures all over the country, it is actually surprising that they have not been collapsing with greater regularity.
    The state and relevant local governments also have a lot to answer for. Even if the commission was not living up to its statutory duties, they had a direct interest in making sure that such an important edifice is not only safe but marketable as a tourist attraction. As the state in which the famous Yankari Game Reserve is located, they should have been aware of its importance to Bauchi’s status as a major tourism destination. In other countries, regional and local authorities devote substantial resources to ensuring that monuments are properly maintained.
    The Bauchi tragedy clearly indicates the pressing need for an overhaul of Nigeria’s approach towards its historic buildings and monuments. NCMM must be strengthened to enable it carry out its regulatory responsibilities with greater efficiency. In particular, it must be given the wherewithal to properly maintain such edifices. There are walled cities and ancient buildings all across the country; their condition should be thoroughly assessed and remedial action undertaken where necessary. A comprehensive plan of action to market them as tourist attractions would help to defray the costs of their maintenance.
    The Bauchi State Government should conduct a census of all historic buildings and monuments in the state with a view to identifying those which are in need of maintenance or repair. The proper utilisation of such edifices will strengthen local pride in the state’s rich history and culture, and could become an important source of much-needed revenue.