ICMS, Inc. Reports
By Tom Okure, Ph.D
By Tom Okure, Ph.D
Preamble
This article was first published in April 2017. Since its publication, some states like Anambra State have endeavored to restore the deplorable state of some historical buildings like the former Governor's Lodge.
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| Renovated Governors Lodge |
Other historic Nigerian buildings may have been renovated that this author is unaware of; nevertheless, the fact remains that Nigeria’s history of preserving its historical buildings, artifacts, and relics remains very poor.
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Nigeria’s History of Preserving its Historical Buildings and Artifacts is Very Poor.
Whether at the national, state, local, institutional, or even family level, Nigeria has an abysmal history and record of preserving and conserving its historical artifacts. This poor record of preservation extends even to the maintenance of new and existing public and vital economic infrastructure across the country.
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| Old residency museum building in Calabar, Cross River State |
This statement does not mean that some national, state, and local historical buildings and artifacts, such as the historic old residency museum building in Calabar, Cross River State, or the historic Palace of the Emir of Kano, which is the official residence of the Emir, have not received good restoration and maintenance attention. The attention paid to the conservation and preservation of some structures, like the palace of the emir of Kano, is perhaps due to its Muslim cultural significance as the residence
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| The
Gidan Rumfa, commonly referred to as the Gidan Sarki (or Emir's house) |
While some heritage objects and structures have received
some focused attention, the great majority of Nigeria’s historic heritage is
severely in poor condition due to neglect and the poor understanding of the
significance of these historical relics by policymakers.
Historic heritage preservation and or heritage conservation, as
the term is generally used in many contexts, is a determined effort by
governments, institutions, and even individuals that strive to conserve,
preserve, and protect objects, buildings, landscapes, or other relics which are
considered to have national and historical significance. In Nigeria, the body
of record evidence indicates that there is an urgent need to introduce
conservation measures directed at maintaining and managing change to national heritage assets in such a way that these historical relics are sustained for
future generations and their significance, where appropriate, are enhanced and
even utilized to boost tourism and generate income for the government.
Nigeria has a rich cultural and colonial history with
accompanying historical buildings and artifacts that urgently need preservation
and conservation attention. Examples of historical sites worth noting and visiting
are many and include:
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| The Historic Old Premier's Lodge in Enugu State |
The Old Premier's Lodge, Enugu. This historic building was
abandoned and neglected for so many years without regard to its historic
significance. It was the official residence of Nigeria's first president, Dr.
Nnamdi Azikiwe, when he was the premier of the Eastern Region. Enugu State of
Nigeria, has now decided to restore and upgrade the former official residence
into a tourist site.
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| Slave History Museum in Calabar, Cross River State |
The Slave History Museum in Calabar, Cross River State. Even though
the initiative to create this museum originated in the Cross River State as
part of its effort to boost tourism within the state, the significance of the potential
of the museum caught the attention of the National Commission for Museums and
Monuments, which took over the management of the museum. The museum houses many artistic
objects but is also an ethnographic museum with permanent exhibitions, including
the Esuk Mba Slave Market in Akpabuyo.
The National Museum, located in the city of Lagos. The museum
was established by the English archaeologist Kenneth Murray in 1957 and
contains a collection of Nigerian art, including many historical exhibits of
statuary and carvings, and archaeological and ethnographic items.
One can argue that Nigeria, as a developing country, has so
many challenges, and budgetary resources are always insufficient to cater to
all economic, social, and cultural development needs. Even so, the preservation
of the country’s rich history requires that the attention of policymakers be
focused on preserving and protecting historical objects, buildings, and landscapes
because of the importance of these relics for future generations of Nigerians.
Conclusion
What is immediately required is a concerted effort at all levels of government to introduce new educational preservation programs and innovative leadership.
Achievement of this task will not come easily because of the lack of a preservation and maintenance culture in Nigeria. Nevertheless, the accomplishment of this noble goal is badly needed and would require policymakers at the national and state levels to develop proactive and innovative legislation directed at regulating the preservation of the country’s historical heritage sites for future generations.
Links for further reading on Nigeria's Amalgamation House:
Repairing Nigeria's Amalgamation House
Lugard Lived in Akwa Ibom State
There are also many more recent buildings, monuments, and
landscapes put into use over the past 30 years all over the country that are
not receiving adequate maintenance and preservation attention and are showing
evidence of deterioration.
Many of Nigeria’s
past colonial and cultural buildings and relics date back to more than a
century and reflect important milestones in Nigeria’s national history, which
include the period of the slave trade, the introduction of British political and
administrative rule in Northern and Southern Nigeria, and the introduction of Christianity
by European missionaries, etc. Take, for example, the historic Lord Lugard’s
office building in Ikot Abasi in Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria.
This is
just one of many examples of historical buildings which is currently in a
state of disrepair due to government neglect. If properly restored, this historic building
could become a tourist destination in Akwa Ibom State because of its historical
significance.
It is important to note that it was in this historic building that, on January 14, 1914, the famous British colonial administrator by the name of Lord Lugard signed the amalgamation of Northern and Southern protectorates of colonial Nigeria, essentially fusing the two regions into a unified British administrative entity called Nigeria today.
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| Historic Lord Lugard’s office in Ikot Abasi, Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria |
It is important to note that it was in this historic building that, on January 14, 1914, the famous British colonial administrator by the name of Lord Lugard signed the amalgamation of Northern and Southern protectorates of colonial Nigeria, essentially fusing the two regions into a unified British administrative entity called Nigeria today.
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| Mary Slessor House, Calabar, Cross River State |
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| Old High Court Building, Race Course, Lagos, Nigeria |
Conclusion
What is immediately required is a concerted effort at all levels of government to introduce new educational preservation programs and innovative leadership.
Achievement of this task will not come easily because of the lack of a preservation and maintenance culture in Nigeria. Nevertheless, the accomplishment of this noble goal is badly needed and would require policymakers at the national and state levels to develop proactive and innovative legislation directed at regulating the preservation of the country’s historical heritage sites for future generations.
Links for further reading on Nigeria's Amalgamation House:
Repairing Nigeria's Amalgamation House
Lugard Lived in Akwa Ibom State
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All rights reserved by Tom Okure, Ph.D, CEO of Inter-Continental Mgt. Systems, Inc. (or ICMS Inc). ICMS, Inc., is a multifaceted business and management consulting firm with its head office in Albany, New York.
