An expert in the protection of museums and monuments, Tahiru Zakari, has appealed to the federal government and the managers of Nigerian Museums and Monuments, the National Commission for Museums and Monuments, to engage the services of antiquity protection officers to provide physical protection for museums and monuments across the country.
He made the call when he was confronted with the question of how Nigerians can safely keep the physical memory of a nation, adding that “they house the objects, stories, and cultural expressions that define the heritage of a people”.
He said, “In Nigeria, with its rich archaeological legacy and diverse cultural history, museums play a critical role not only in education but also in national identity. Yet, these institutions face increasing challenges—from theft, vandalism, fire hazards, environmental deterioration, and even internal negligence”.
Emphasising that, “this has made physical security a top priority for museums across the country”.
In his suggestion, he called on the government to employ the services of an antiquity protection officer, whose role he said is to provide physical security in Nigerian museums, adding that their roles are often overlooked, “at the heart of this responsibility is a professional whose role is often overlooked but essential: the Antiquity Protection Officer (APO).”
He further said that their role is critical at this point, owing to the growing incidence of theft, threats, fire incidents, ageing buildings that house the artefacts, insufficient funding for museums, and other factors.
According to him, “in recent years, Nigerian museums have faced intensified threats owing to several factors, which include rising demand for African artefacts on the international black market, insufficient funding for museum infrastructure, aging buildings with weak access control, increasing visitor traffic without corresponding security upgrades, digital exposure of museum collections leading to targeted theft, insufficient training for museum staff on handling cultural property.”
Adding that, “because of these realities, proactive and well-coordinated physical security measures have become indispensable.”
