Commission threatens to shut down erring private museums

Yusuf Usman, the director general, National Commission for Museums and Monuments, has threatened to shut down private museums which fail to meet the required procedures.

He issued the threat on Monday in Ilorin in a message to celebrate this year’s International Museum Day.

Represented by Omotayo Adeboye, the curator of the National Museum, Ilorin, Usman warned owners of private museums in the country to comply with the provision of CAP 242, Act of Parliament, 2000.

He said that though the Act empowered the commission to approve the establishment of private museums, the approval could be withdrawn.

The commission, he said, was aware that some individuals, organisations, institutions as well as state governments were setting up museums without the necessary approval.