IN-PERSON London Heritages. Section A

Abstract

Cultural heritages are an inseparable thrust of Nigerian cultural space. In their tangible and intangible forms, these heritages are profound evidence Nigeria’s contributions to global civilization epistemology. Hence given their importance across several generations, the narratives of preservation have occupied mainstream discussions and debates in Nigeria. The preservation crisis stems from the consistent degeneration of heritage sites and museums despite the global heritage sustainability drive. Esie Soap Stones and Museology are vital in this regard. Although the origin of the Esie Soap Stones remains contentious, they are important evidence of Nigerian cultural civilization. The compositions of the soap stones numbering over 1500, particularly influenced the colonial government to establish the first Nigerian museum named the Esie Museum in 1945 as part of the efforts to safeguard these cultural heritages as a means to understanding the history and identity of the Nigerian environment. However since the attainment of independence, the museum has been in a state of flux due to challenges emanating from sustainable preservation and maintenance of the museum’s heritages. Using qualitative research methods, the task of this research is to conduct a profound ethnographic study into the crisis of preservation viz-a-viz, the Esie soap stones and cultural museum. The research offers a profound analysis and narrative of the state museum heritage and knowledge and their preservation crises in the Global South