No fewer than 1,019 students on Tuesday visited the National Commission for Museums and Monuments in Lagos for educational tour.
The students who were on educational tour to the museum spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) based on knowledge acquired in the process.
However, the instructors who coordinated the students round decried the poor learning condition of the museum.
Museum will solve unemployment problem in Nigeria – Experts
Don’t end BRT in Lagos, make it safer – commuters tell Sanwo-Olu
They told NAN that the Lagos Museum was in a terrible state and needed to be upgraded.
They called on the Federal Government to upgrade and equip the museum in order to attract both local and international visitors.
The National Museum has notable collections of Nigerian art, including pieces of statuary, carvings, archaelolgical and ethnographic exhibits.
NAN reports that the schools were: Most High School, Abule-Egba (130); Paola Schools (70); Soliel High School (46); Dowen College (34); Jisak Genius School, Mowe (66); Gracious Infant Jesus Schools, Ajegunle (65).
Others were: Shysome Group of Schools, Sango-Ota (13); Adedewa Nursery and Primary school, Iba (103); St. Theresa Schools, Ifako-Ijaiye (36); Rainbow College, Alaka (51); Mabib Education Services, Ikorodu (88); Tennybell Academy, Ikorodu (34); Princeton Schools, Surulere (121) and Freewill School (32).
Mr Lasisi Adeoluwa, an instructor from Rainbow College, said the entire museum must be renovated to create enough space for children to move around during tours as well as give room for adequate ventilation in each of the exhibition halls.
Adeoluwa said the museum lacked both basic and modern facilities that would enhance learning.
“The museum is loaded with precious national artefacts, we should think of the value of the artefacts kept here and then think of the best way to preserve them, likewise create conducive environment within here for visitors to have pleasurable tours.
“As you can see, we have been sweating profusely, no electricity, no fans and no generating set,” he said.
Mr Kachi Okeugo, another instructor from Princeton College, said the renovation of the museum was long overdue.
Okeugo noted that the museum must be renovated in such a way that it could attract more tourists and researchers.
He suggested that an additional department should be created in the museum for the contemporary arts.
This, he said, would go a along way in complementing what the children had learnt in schools.
Toluwani Oyedeji from Princeton College, Surulere, said she had learnt how the art work, terracotta could be derived which was from refined clay.
Oyedeji said the tour was a pleasant one as she was taught everything relating with Nigerian culture and the different rituals involved in crowning a king in the olden days.
Bienose Zitife, a student of Tennybell Academy in Ikorodu, told NAN that she was made to understand the different contributions of late Mrs Olufunmilayo Ransom-Kuti, who was the first Nigerian female to drive a car in Nigeria.
“I have been able to know much about Nigerian past heroes and heroines, this is an interesting visit, I wish to be back soon,” she said.
Also, Toluwalase Pearse of Rainbow College, said he had known more about the past military generals and how coup d’état were executed in the past.
Pearse noted that the manner at which late Gen. Murtala Mohammed was assasinated and murdered was heartbreaking considering how young he was and his ambition for the nation. (NAN)
