Community Museums for National Integration in Nigeria, 1960–2020

Abstract

Nigeria has a rich cultural history and an internationally renowned sculptural tradition. It is one of the most socio-culturally diverse countries in Africa with more than 500 major and minor ethnic groups. Community museums are a key tool in promoting national integration. While the different cultural beliefs in Nigeria could be expected to promote this cause, the reverse is the case due to the failure to understand the role of culture through sculpture. This chapter examines diverse cultural beliefs in Nigeria between 1960 and 2020 and how community museums and sculptural arts were used as a tool for integration of the social systems of Nigeria from 900 BC. Cultural objects and sculptural materials, such as the Nok, Ife, Benin, Owo, Igbo-Ukwu and Esie, evoked communal power, history and collective memory of systems. This, in turn, promoted national consciousness for national integration in pre-colonial Nigeria. In contemporary times, sculptural arts have been exchanged for individualistic cultural beliefs to reinforce ethnic nationalism instead of civic nationalism. Community museums are proposed as a strategy to preserve Nigerian communities’ shared past in sculptural arts. This would enable cultural beliefs to cross boundaries and to become a powerful tool to promote national consciousness for national integration.KeywordsPerformative CultureCommunity MuseumNational IntegrationCultural BeliefsCultural Objects and Sculptural Materials