CBN: Museums Critical to Sustainable Development, Unity, Wellbeing of Nigerians

*Partners Google for virtual currency gallery

James Emejo in Abuja

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) yesterday said museums remained a key contributor to the sustainable development of the country as well as well-being of Nigerians.

CBN Deputy Governor, Operations Directorate, Mr. Folashodun Shonubi, stated this at the 2023 International Museum Day (IMD) celebration with the theme, “Museums, Sustainability and Well-being”.
He said the central bank’s in-house Information Technology Department (ITD) was partnering with Google to establish a virtual reality museum that would, “connect with the global world for the public to sit back and relax within their comfort zone and view the artifacts on display.”

Shonubi said museums all over the world, serve as heritage sites that preserve and promote the religious, cultural and historical value of objects and materials collected in showcasing knowledge, entertaining, educating, and enlightening the public on the theme as it unfolds.
The CBN deputy governor stressed that museums are channels of cultural enrichment and development of communal understanding, cooperation, and peace among people which cannot be over-emphasised.

According to him, “Museums are an informal means through which knowledge can be shared on so many levels, as they have no age barrier. The displays in the museums are designed to appeal to any audience irrespective of age, ethnic group, or gender and there should be no diversity irrespective of where you are coming from.”
He said this year’s event was particularly unique given that the apex bank was celebrating Museum Day since the outbreak and spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

He said, “It is impossible to understand the role of museums without taking into account all the connections to culture; they are an inherent part of our local communities, cultural landscape, and natural environment.”
In his remarks, CBN Director, Currency Operations Department, Mr. Ahmed Umar, noted that digital innovations could make museums more accessible and engaging thereby helping audiences understand complex and nuanced concepts.

He said, “We are in the process of making sure that our museums have gone digital by way of Virtual Reality Museum where you sit back in your comfort zone and take a view through our currency museum gallery coming soon.”
He noted that the International Museum Day celebration was introduced in 1977 by the International Council of Museums (ICOM) to celebrate museums all over the world.

The objective of the IMD was to raise awareness that “Museums are important means of cultural exchange, enrichment of cultures and development of mutual understanding, cooperation and peace among people,” he said.
Umar said museums were key contributors to the well-being and sustainable development of Nigerian communities, adding that its vast collections offer almost infinite opportunities to share with visitors the ways in which the past informs the present and conversely how the issues of the present can make the past relevant again.

He said, “Works of art can speak so eloquently about what makes us human, what connects and divides us, what inspires and provokes us, and how vital the impulse to make and create has always been across time and geographic boundaries.
“I believe this kind of perspective is one of the deep-seated needs of our society.”
He added that museums play an important role in society whereby technology has helped in reaching beyond the core audience to new publics.
“This has been shown in digitalisation of collections, virtual tours, or something as simple as a hashtag that allows visitors to share their experiences on social media,” he said.