You are responsible for preservation of NOK artifacts, FG tells Nigerians

Lai Mohammed, minister of information and culture, on Thursday said the preservation and promotion of the Nok artifact and other cultural materials was the responsibility of every Nigerian citizen.

Mohammed said this during the opening of an exhibition, titled ‘NOK within the context of Nigerian Art Traditions’ at the Kaduna office of National Commission for Museum and Monuments.

According to the minister, who was represented by Maimuna Idu-lah, a deputy director, the ministry would create the needed awareness to make Nigerians value and patronise museums for enlightenment and leisure.

Yusuf Usman, director-general of the commission, said the exhibition highlighted some of the classical master pieces of Nigeria art traditions.

“It showcases the huge and diverse talents of Nigerian artists and craftsmen, in order to stimulate creativity, innovation and inventiveness.

“It is hoped that the exhibition will enhance public appreciation of the importance of our culture to black and world civilization and lead to deeper appreciation of Nok culture.

“The exhibition will create better awareness, contribute to scholarship, and increase partnership with other organization for further research into our rich cultural heritage for posterity,” he said.

The minister also said that the ministry and that of education will work to ensure that students are made to visit the Museums as part of their learning process.

This he said would help scale up cultural development in the country.

He added that the government would continue to explore avenues of diversifying the economy, and the cultural sector, including the National museum would constitute a major plank of that exploration.

“We believe quite strongly that cultural sector if effectively harnessed will add to the revenue drive of this administration.

“A such we will give every needed attention and support to revolutionize the cultural and tourism sector of our economy,” he said.