The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (EVC/CEO) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta has called for ingenious ways of collecting antiquities relevant to the operations of various organizations in the country to preserve the relics that can bridge the knowledge gap needed for sustainable development of Nigeria.
Danbatta, who was represented by the Executive Commissioner, Stakeholders Management (ECSM), NCC, Barr. Adewolu Adeleke, made the call recently in Abuja when the Commission joined to celebrate the 2021 International Museum Day, theme; “The Future Of Museums: Recover And Re-imagine”.
While speaking on the theme, Danbatta said it appropriately captures the reason the Commission established a special museum for the telecommunications industry in the country, as it is intended to bridge the historical knowledge gap in the evolution of communication as well as meeting the need for information by future generations.
The NCC’s Museum was established in November 2006 for documentation of historical collections on the evolution of communications in Nigeria.
Communication artefacts were also identified in various locations across the country where postal and telecommunication offices were established to retrieve relics for exhibition.
Danbatta further said that the museum should be seen as an important resourceful centre that can stimulate critical thinking, creative ideas for expanding the frontiers of knowledge and advancement of development in relevant sectors of the economy.
In his words, “our museum is designed and reinvented to conserve the history of the Nigerian telecommunications industry and we see it as very important to collect, exhibit and preserve telecommunication items to enlighten and educate stakeholders on the evolution of communications to nudge our minds towards critical thinking that will bring about innovations to assist in building a better future for our industry and the nation”.
The NCC Museum plays valuable roles in supporting the Commission’s agenda by providing unique information resources to cater for the historical needs of future generations while building capacity and stimulating innovations to assist in fashioning out a better future for the Nigerian communications industry, Danbatta added.
Speaking further at the event, Danbatta said the NCC Museum Day is a demonstration of the Commission’s commitment to facilitate learning and collaboration with relevant Museum professional bodies, to conserve the antiquities used to develop the industry, in the best possible manner for socio-economic impact of the nation.
Moreover, the Museum generally plays important role in society by conserving the past and helping to shape the future through providing needed insight into the history, while educating future generations and equipping them with the requisite information and knowledge for sustainable development.
Meanwhile, the Director-General, National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM), Prof. Abba Isa Tijani was represented at the event by the Assistant Director, Kilba Zainab Uche, who presented a brief on the ‘Role of Museum in the Digital Era’.
