By Kehinde Akinpelu
A graduate of Museum Studies, University of West Georgia, Titilope Rosemary Falola has said that many Nigerian museums suffer from poor funding and a lack of trained personnel and conservation facilities.
She therefore called on the federal and state governments as well as management of private institutions and other stakeholders to prioritize funding to improve museum infrastructure, providing state-of-the-art storage, climate control systems, and security.
According to her, this will allow museums in the country to properly care for sensitive artifacts, many of which require specific environmental conditions to prevent deterioration.
She warned that if these issues were not addressed, the reclaimed objects may degrade over time, undermining the significance of their return.
She spoke in a statement on Monday titled: “The West Can’t Keep Talking About Repatriation While We Neglect Our Museums.”
Falola said: “The conversation around repatriation of artifacts from Western museums to their countries of origin, including Nigeria, has rightly gained global attention. However, while the West advocates for the return of looted artifacts, Nigeria must take action to ensure that its museums are adequately prepared to receive and conserve these cultural treasures. The dialogue about restitution cannot be one-sided. We, in Nigeria, need to address the shortcomings in our museum sector if we are to responsibly manage the heritage being returned to us.
“It is counterproductive for the West to push for the repatriation of our cultural artifacts while we are not investing in the infrastructure required to house them. Many Nigerian museums suffer from poor funding, insufficient conservation facilities, and a lack of trained personnel. Repatriation is not just about returning artifacts—it is about ensuring these treasures are preserved for future generations. Without proper investment in our museums, we risk losing the very items we fought to bring home.
“The Nigerian government must prioritize funding to improve museum infrastructure, providing state-of-the-art storage, climate control systems, and security. This will allow our museums to properly care for sensitive artifacts, many of which require specific environmental conditions to prevent deterioration. If we don’t address these issues, the very objects we reclaim may degrade over time, undermining the significance of their return.”
The recipient of The Danny Williams and Arden Williams Public History Award stated that a critical step in preparing for the future is the incorporation of public history and museum studies into Nigerian university curricula.