Home /
Arts /
Ife Exhibition: A Celebration Of Rich Cultural Heritage
With the overwhelming emphasis on making tourism the
mainstay of Nigeria’s economy apart from oil, there is a need for the
federal government to pay adequate attention to the maintenance of
heritage sites by providing enough financial resources and manpower to
manage the sites. CHIKA OKEKE writes
It was a moment of reflection when the National Commission for
Museums and Monuments (NCMM) recently commissioned the National Museum,
Ile-Ife exhibition. The exhibition titled, “Ife Archaeology and Material
Culture in Retrospect,” was designed to replace the 1954 old exhibition
targeted at showcasing the rich material culture of Ile-Ife through the
archaeological discovery in four media of terracotta, Bronzes, Stones
and beads.
It was also aimed at appreciating the great works of Ife artists like
Olokun, Ooni Luwo, Obalufon Ogbogbodirin who were famous for originating
the idea of bronze casting in the ancient city.
The exhibition also provided the opportunity to launch another
comprehensive work titled, ‘The Sacred and Historical Landscapes of
Ile-Ife” that were produced by museum professionals in heritage
management and cultural managers from Obafemi Awolowo University who
were commissioned by NCMM in 2010 to collate and document heritage as
well as historical sites in Ile-Ife.
You may recall that NCMM Ile-Ife museum was opened in 1954 by the
defunct department of antiquities in collaboration with the then Ooni of
Ife, His Imperial Majesty, Sir Adesoji Aderemi as a result of early
discovery of four media in large quantity by a German Ethnologist, Leo
Frobenius whose unscientific excavation at Olokun grove yielded the
famous Ori-Olokun and other Ife master pieces. With this, the museum was
established at Enuwa beside the Ooni palace.
Nigeria As Preferred Cultural Destination
In his address, the minister of Tourism, Culture and National
Orientation, High Chief Edem Duke, said the the policy trust of federal
government was to place Nigeria as preferred cultural destination
worldwide saying that culture must be seen as a vector of development.
“The policy thrust of the federal government is to place Nigeria as a
preferred cultural destination not only in Africa, but also all over the
world and to achieve these objectives, the transformation outlines that
there should be effective community involvement as the basis of tourism
and cultural growth even as culture will serve as a vector of
development.
He further disclosed that henceforth, the annual Osun/ Oshogbo festival
would receive federal government budgetary allocation for hosting the
event saying that apart from oil and gas, culture and tourism were
viable areas of diversification from Nigeria`s over-dependence on oil
and gas.
“My director-general and I have worked closely to ensure that Osun/
Oshogbo festival will begin to receive federal government every year
that is from 2014, it will be inculcated into the budget as Osun-Oshogbo
festival.
He regretted that the level of immorality in the society is not
unconnected to loss of family values which would be traceable to
unchecked influx of foreign cultures maintaining that cultural values
must be urgently restored.
International Best Practices
The deputy governor of Osun State, Otunba Titilayo Tomori called on the
management of NCMM to work in accordance with international best
practices and educate the residents on the importance of preserving
their cultural heritage and monument sites.
She appreciated the efforts of the federal government for inculcating
Osun/Oshogbo festival in the National budget as well as the Ooni of Ife,
His Imperial Majesty, Oba Okunade Sijuwade Olubuse for facilitating the
promotion of Ife culture in London.
Tomori said, “Ife is a wonderful city created by God over 13,000 years
and God has given us the privilege to be part of the Ife cultural
heritage. The state government identifies with the giant stride taken by
NCMM to project Ile-Ife as the cultural progenitor of Yoruba race.
…Open New Vista
Responding, the director-general of NCMM, Mallam Yusuf Abdallah Usman
said the exhibition would open new vista in the understanding of Ife as
the source and one of the famous centres of world civilisation likewise
to stimulate the interest of youths in understanding their cultural
heritage.
He said, “The exhibition will open new vista in the understanding of Ife
as the source and one of the famous centres of world civilisation
likewise to stimulate the interest of youths in our cultural heritage
through deeper understanding of her glorious past.
“Its also intended to bring to focus the journey of Ife clay, stone and
bronze technology beginning from the abstract form of artwork which
historians put at about 800 AD to the naturalistic masterpieces of 12th
to 15th centuries.
Usman noted that the position of Ife as the cradle of Yoruba and one of
the centres of world civilisation is never in doubt considering the
quality, uniqueness and outstanding collections of Ife masterpieces of
art objects within and around the world.
Stay up to date, follow us on Twitter; @thundergist
