Preservation Strategies In Nigerian Museums: A Comprehensive Examination Of Preventative And Remedial Conservation Practices

Abstract

The museums located in the North-Western part of Nigeria use both preventive and curative conservation in preserving the collections in their custody. In applying preventive conservation, the museums manage the risks to collections through the lens of the agents of deterioration. The REORG method, adoption of proper collection management practices, passive method of indoor climatic management and good house-keeping were the preventive conservation methods used in the museums. Dry cleaning, wet cleaning and chemical treatment were used in curative conservation. Although the two conservation methods were used in the museums, each has its peculiar benefits. The preventive conservation method aims to prevent or reduce damage while curative conservation is the method of choice when damage has occurred. This study discusses both types of conservation as applied in North-West museums