Nigerians have been advised to imbibe their culture and respect the local intelligence of their forebears, who, despite not having formal education, have proved to be intelligent.
Curator of National Museum of Unity, Ibadan, Mrs Oriyomi Otuka, made the call while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ibadan on Thursday.
Otuka said that many visitors to the museum had always wondered how their forefathers, who did not go to school, could come up with mind-blowing crafts like the NOK terracotta.
According to her, the local intelligence has left Nigerians with lifelong creative items that are educating and entertaining.
“Whether we like it or not, these are intelligent people, though some have regarded their knowledge as local intelligence.
“However, they have done great work for us to enjoy for a lifetime.
“Nigeria is a great country. We are blessed with so many educating and entertaining art pieces. Children yet unborn will meet these pieces and learn about the Nigerian culture,” she said.
NAN reports that a total of 12,977 people, including 20 foreigners, visited the museum in 2022, while 9,282 people, including 19 foreigners, did so in 2023.
The curator attributed the declining attendance of visitors to the museum to the security and economic challenges currently facing the nation.
“The economic situation has not allowed people to come to the museum as they used to.
“Insecurity is also a factor, as lots of people didn’t allow their children to visit the museum.
“These factors are affecting the flow of traffic to the museum,” she said.
Otuka, however, said that with the country left with two functional national museums of unity out of four, the existing two could be kept alive through more patronage.
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She, therefore, urged the public to rise to the challenge and take the museums as places they could visit for entertainment, leisure and education.
According to her, artifacts at the museum are not for worship purposes but for the education and empowerment of everyone.
“This is a good place to learn about our culture and how our forebears were doing.
“Information is power. If you know all these historical things, no one can tell you otherwise,” she said. (NAN)
