The Acting Director General of National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Mr Abdulkerim Kadiri, says Nigeria’s artifacts are about the most treasured in the world.
Kadiri, who made this known in an interview with newsmen in Abuja, said that the country’s natural monuments and heritage sites were second to none world over.
He said the commission was doing all within its powers to ensure that the sector lived up to expectation by showcasing the museums, monuments and natural heritage among other things.
“The commission is working in tandem with Federal Government’s six point agenda to diversify the economy away from oil and gas into tourism, agriculture and solid minerals.
“The commission plays a pivotal role in tourism development in the country and in deed other countries of the world.
“That is why we decided to create awareness of the 48 museums we have nationwide with rich cultural artifacts from different ethnic nationalities in the country.
“We are also creating awareness on our highly endowed monuments and heritage sites that are priceless and basis for tourism from any country.
“We are enlightening Nigerians and the whole world to increase their awareness of what we have and appreciate them.
“We feel that if we are able to get the Museums further off the ground from where they are now to a level that is internationally acclaimed,” he said.
Kadiri assured that the commission would put in its best to ensure that tourism development in Nigeria took its pride of place to compete favourably with income from oil and gas to make Nigeria richer than it is.
He noted that though there were funding challenges, measures were being put in place to generate income for the commission.
He said, “in terms of human capital we do not have a problem because our staff strength is over 2000 nationwide and they professionals who are highly trained.
“Funding is our major constraint. Looking at the level of infrastructure we have nationwide in the 48 museums and 165 national monuments the amount that is currently allocated to commission is grossly inadequate.
“For that reason we have decided to put on our thinking caps to arrive at how best we can improve on our internally generated revenue.
“We have put in a solid arrangement with strategic business units to help us commercialise, market and sell our products and services to take us to the promised land.”
On the 2019 World Museum Day coming up on May 18, the director general said the commission already had a line up of activities to mark the day, starting with a rally.
This year’s theme according to him is “Museums as Cultural Hubs: the Future of Tradition”.
In a separate interview, the Chairman Senate Committee on Culture and Tourism Sen. Fatimat Raji Rasaki, called for the separation of culture and tourism from the Ministry of Information.
She said that was the only way the potentials in the tourism sector would be maximised.
“For us to make a head way in the tourism sector, there is a need to create a ministry of tourism. It must be separated from the ministry of information for its impact to be felt.
“Countries world over are trying to diversify but that is not same for Nigeria particularly in terms of tourism.
“Oil will not last forever, so, the earlier we get serious with diversifying our economy by tapping into our tourism potentials the better for us as a country.
“As we speak some of our artifacts are not properly kept and some of those handling them have retired while most of those put in charge of these things are not properly trained.
“Beyond that, some of our artifacts are still outside Nigeria and not much effort is being made in repatriating them because there are fears that we will not be able to maintain them.
“While I agree that we have challenges but we cannot solve the problem by staying away. We need to put measures in place to manage our artifacts well,” she said.
The lawmaker said tourism was a goldmine that remained untapped in the country due to so much focus on oil.
She expressed hope that the ongoing awareness being created by relevant agencies and the National Assembly on the importance of tourism, would change the narrative.
According to her, the national assembly is already putting plans in place to have a groundbreaking for the National Assembly Museum and Archives.
She noted that it would be the first of its kind in the history of democracy.
On funding, the lawmaker decried the poor budgetary allocation for the tourism sector.
She said, “the sector is an orphan with nobody to speak for them. Besides the national assembly, I am not sure of anybody or any institution that speaks strongly for the tourism sector.
“That is why I am canvassing for a separate ministry with a minister whose sole mandate is tourism. Now we have one minister overseeing information and tourism and sadly if you visit the ministry you only see a chair and table for culture and tourism.
“I hope we will wake up as a country and do the right thing.”
