The emergence of Museums in Nigeria, 1930s–1950s: preserving traditions and shaping historical memory

The application of postcolonial methodology, particularly the concept of the relationship between colonial power and knowledge production through institutions such as museums and schools, offers a new perspective on the formation of historical memory and national identity among colonised peoples. This article examines the process of establishing museums, which functioned both as centres of traditional culture and as colonial institutions. The study explores the ambivalence surrounding the emergence of museums in Nigeria, the largest British colony in West Africa, between the 1930s and 1950s. It traces the evolution of ideas about museums from discussions of the 1930s within the magazine “Nigeria Teacher” (“Nigeria”) to the establishment of the Nigerian Antiquities Service in 1943 and the opening of the first national museums in the 1940s and 1950s. Particular attention is given to the role of individuals in founding museums and shaping legislation on the protection of cultural heritage. The article highlights the contributions of Kenneth Murray, Edward Duckworth, Stanley Milburn, and other colonial administrators who advocated for the preservation of traditional Nigerian art. The findings indicate that, on the one hand, the establishment of museums was essential for preserving Nigeria’s cultural heritage and preventing the looting and export of artworks. On the other hand, as colonial institutions, museums also played a role in constructing historical memory and shaping national and cultural identity within the framework of imperial ideology.