Reflections from the National Museum and Monuments in Kaduna

I was at the premises of the National Museum and Monuments in Kaduna yesterday. What I saw was disturbing. It was almost five years now since I last visited the Museum. First, the locally constructed mud structure that for years provided housing to the blacksmiths that practiced their art for visitors to the Museum was partly roofless. In this rainy season, the roofless mud structure is exposed to the heavenly downpours. One needs no degree in engineering to guess the ultimate outcome of the neglect of the structure. Second, as someone who grew up in Kaduna, the Museum’s excellent landscape design was always a sight to behold. But what I saw there yesterday was an eyesore. The landscape was a far shadow of its former self. Third, the premises of the Museum had always been clean, neat and tidy; but yesterday I saw a refuse dump building on the premises! Fourth, what used to be the spacious parking space for visitors to the Museum is now reduced to an extension of the Unguwar Shanu market, as stalls and shops busy compete for space.
The Museum is our national heritage. It is a place people and tourist from around the world will come to visit; to see the window into our past. What image are we projecting to the outside world? What is the problem with the National Museum and Monument in Kaduna? Is it underfunding? Is it mismanagement? Somebody should please do something. Like charity, let us begin the business of polishing our image from home. I hope this note will not end up as a lonely cry in the wilderness.