EU Pledges Support For Culture In Nigeria
Princess-Ekwi Ajide Abuja
The European Union, EU, has promised to strengthen ties with Nigeria through cultural exchange.
The Head of EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Samuela Isopi, made the pledge at a reception to mark the closing of European Union National Institutes for Culture, EUNIC Residencies in Museums (RESIM) in Abuja.
The EUNIC Residencies in Museums Project, RESIM, is a joint project between the EUNIC Nigeria cluster and museums in Nigeria which is aimed at enhancing the capacities and visibility of Nigeria museums through increased cooperation with between European and Nigerian museum professionals.
Speaking at the event, the EU head of delegation, said programmes heralding the event are concrete illustrations of the EU’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s cultural sector as an engine of development and promotion of intercultural dialogue.
She noted the project is in line with the 2016 EU joint communication called “EU strategy for international cultural relations” that foresees a close collaboration between EU Delegations and the local EUNIC cluster in partner countries which so far, has brought to life European cultural collaboration in more than 100 countries worldwide, with a network of 136 clusters, drawing on the broad experience of members from all EU Member States and associate countries.
According to Isopi, EUNIC advocates a prominent role for culture in international relations and a strategic partner of the EU actively involved in the definition of European cultural policy, and serves as a platform for knowledge sharing and capacity building amongst its members and with partner countries, including the museum sector.
On her part, Nigeria’s Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen, who described culture as life and symbol of unity, which reminds one of his history, thanked the EU especially Germany which is working towards returning over 1000 artifacts to Nigeria.
The Minister harped that Nigeria is rich in diversity and in culture hence different unique cultures can be seen in all states of the Federation.
The organisers of the residency programme for Nigerian museum professionals which include Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Germany and Spain pledged support for the programme and culture in Nigeria.
Some of the Nigerian museums already actively engaged in processes of exchange management and internationalisation include the Centre for Memories in Enugu, the Natural History Museum of Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile-Ife, the Yemisi Shyllon Museum of Art in Lagos and the National War Museum in Umuahia
While their European Counterparts are the National Museum of Natural History of Bulgaria, the Muzeum Brněnska of the Czech Republic, the Museo de la Universidad de Navarra in Spain and the National Marine Museum in Wilhelmshaven, Germany
There however, seems to be a lack of knowledge on how to promote the museums as interactive public spaces, combined with a lack of technology and data on museums and their collection to engage with the audience which this programme intends to correct.
