Rodiyat Shittu
Speakers at the Kaduna International Museum Day celebration have said that the Museum has the potential to solve the lingering unemployment problem in the country if only the historical building, which houses and preserves the culture of the people could get proper attention and not left to deteriorate.
They have therefore called for sponsorships from individuals, partners, stakeholders among others for the revitalization of the museums across the country.
Chairman of the event, Prof. Muhammad Sani Bello, Mainan Zazzau, while speaking to journalists explained that the museum known for its attraction value has the full potential for creating job opportunities for the teeming youths. ‘There is need for sponsorship, collaboration so that Kaduna Museum could be improved upon for it to live up to its potentials. I am also adding my voice to that, and as an individual, I am going to do all to ensure that the museum is improved’, he pledged.
Also, dissecting on the prospects of museum, Prof. Hauwa Evelyn Yusuf stressed that the museum ought to be valued for its purpose, ‘museum education is something you cannot throw away especially in this era that we churn out graduates who do not have any job prospect. The museum exposes you to education of art and culture, exposes you to the privilege to be able to refine and work in those existing artifacts that we have, and these are money making venture in the international world”
She pleaded that there is need for investments and donations to the museum and worried that most of the people who leave the shores of Nigeria could witness how museums are in other countries. “I am pleading with people here. I am appealing for serious donations, this is our property, we need to revamp the Kaduna Museum, let’s put things in place, the record system needs to be worked on, lack of maintenance has affected our building and some of the quality documents we have”.
Meanwhile, Director-General of the National Commission for Museum and Monuments, Prof. Abba Isa Tijjani giving his opening remarks through the curator, Kaduna Museum hinted Nigeria through the agency is reaping positive results in recovering back some of the country’s treasures. “The NCMM has been achieving great success in its repatriation drive. It was recently in the news how Nigeria successfully argued her case and brought back a 600 years Old Ife terracotta from the Netherlands. In March, the University of Aberdeen after a year of discussion agreed to return an important Benin bronze to Nigeria. A few weeks ago, an Ife bronze was brought back from Mexico.’
‘This month we shall argue our case before an international mediation panel for the return of an Ife bronze head valued at five million Dollars. This Ife head was seized in London from a Belgian and is part of eight other important antiquities stolen in a burglary that happened in National Museum Jos in 1987″, he said.
He is optimistic about the prospect of Nigerian museum playing a role in propelling a tourism renaissance in Nigeria through the agency(NCMM)
Again, the curator, Kaduna Museum, Mr. Elkany Aliyuda Buckly who also saw great future for the Kaduna Museum seeks collaboration from various stakeholders.
The highlight of the event include cultural attire display by students of various schools in Kaduna and also gallery tour of dignitaries like traditional rulers, religious leaders, historians among others
The theme for this year’s International Museum Day is ‘Future Of Museums: Recover and Re-Imagine’
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