NWAFOR ORIZU COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, NSUGBE

IN AFFILIATION WITH UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA,

NSUKKA.
NAME:ONWUZULIKE PASCAL SUNDAY

REGISTRATION NUMBER:2015/403020

DEPARTMENT:HISTORY AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

COURSE TITLE:INTRODUCTION TO MUSEUM

COURSE CODE:ARCHY 103

LECTURER: MRS NGOZI AZIEKWE

TOPIC:REPORT ON EXCURSION TO MUSEUM

 REPORT ON AN EXCURSION TO ENUGU STATE
MUSEUM

We embarked on an excursion on the 30th of June 2016, the weather

was very kind to us from when we took off to when we returned.
We all assembled at the second gate with our departmental polo, all
the year one students was there present except igbanugo paul chibuike
who was absent , some students in other levels joined us but we all was
the students of HISTORY AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES in
NWAFOR ORIZU COLLEDGE OF EDUCATION NSUGBE in
affiliation with UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA NSUKKA. We went with
two busses, but before our journey, the lecturer mrs NGOZI AZIEKWE
who is our teacher in INTRODUCTION TO MUSEUM took the row
call and shared us into two busses and we finally proceeded at about
9:24 am. On our way to NATIONAL MUSEUM OF UNITY ENUGU
STATE, we experienced a lot, we saw some monuments on our way and
also while crossing the fly over’s at Awka, it was like never to be ended,
we chatted a lot, made a lot of noise, prayed, singed and had a lot of fun,
at the bus, our lecturer advised non choir members to join choir because
it will help in uplifting our faith and also dedicating our time to God.
After we have trespassed Awka now to Enugu state, we saw a lot of
bad roads, a lot of difficulties that people began to complain and mock
enugu indigenes that are in the vehicle, it was all lively throughout.
Then, here we are in NATIONAL MUSEUM OF UNITY ENUGU
STATE that is located at Abakaliki road a two division near army
school by 12:04 pm. the environment was so quiet as if a library was
also there, it was also neat and decorated with lovely flowers.
 We proceeded to the museum entrance at exact 12:13 pm after having
some relief, we were been directed firstly by our lecturer on what to do.
At the entrance of the museum, the curator representative told us to line
up in front of the museum entrance, he said we should form two lines
one for the boys and the other for the girls, after that he asked us the
definition of museum and some of the students tried answering it so, he
letter gave the definition as an institution that is opened to the society
and charged with the activities of collecting, preserving and exhibiting
mans cultural heritage and he also stated that the museum is non- profit
oriented, it is just voluntary service that enlightens man about their
cultural heritage. He also said that museums are defined by ownership
e.g private museum; both tangible and intangible materials are being
kept or found there.
Museums can easily be identified based on their collection e.g
Earthnographic museum, Archaeology museum, war museum e.t.c.
Before we entered the museum, he gave us certain rules e.g
1. You are not allowed to touch the museum objects.
2.You are not allowed to take photographs inside the museum.
3.All phones must be switched off.
4.Eating inside the museum is strictly prohibited.
5.Do not lay on the walls.
After this guidelines, he divided us into two and went in with the
first group, after which we were ushered in by one of the female
educationist and she showed us were to drop our bags and we proceeded
to the first room which was mainly about the past leaders of eastern
Nigeria comprising of the five igbo state:
1. Enugu
2. Imo
3. Abia
4. Ebonyi and
5. Anambra
And then later, creation of states came up and she also told us
something about some of our past leaders like Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe who
fought for Nigerians independent and also chimaroke, Ojukwu, and
every other person. After that, we came to know how coal was been
mined and discovered In Enugu state this was what brought
organizations and developments in Enugu state.
The second room we entered was mainly about the Igbo tradition and
beliefs, we saw many masks and masquerades, for example the ikenga
mask was mainly for the men, we saw the shrine that women use to
intercede on either for the fruit of womb or for successful market. She
also showed us a mascuerade that is used to send back a wicked woman
back to her parents or a woman that do misbehave. There was also a
room that portrays the strength of an Igbo man based on how he do
protect his wife whenever any wild animal comes to attack.
We saw a setting of Igbo typical kitchen that contains clay pot, plate,
funnel e.t.c. We also saw the alochukwu shrine and also a tortoise in the
shrine, the alochukwu people do solicit in the shrine whenever they are
in need or also thanking the chief priest for anything. She also made us
to know about the Igbo setting of our fore fathers. We also saw how the
typical ozo man dresses In the olden days, and we also saw the typical
Onitsha ozo throne and the sacredness of the ozo man and his title. If the
ozo is going to anywhere in the olden days, a young girl would carry his
okwachi on her head and the girll must be a virgin, if the girl is not a
virgin the girl will die immediately when she carries the okwachi on her
head and when the ozo man is eating or bathing, able young men would
be beating drums, blowing elephant tusk and other things so that
anybody that is coming to meet the ozo at that time will know that the
ozo is busy with something. We also saw the ofor stick of so many
types, We also saw the odu women and how they usually dresses with
their elephant tusk round their hands and legs and also some sample of
their beads in a picture that is been portrayed there.
Before the coming of the white men, our girls do dresses with their
jigida around their waist as clothes to cover their nakedness and also
some bangles, tangele, nzu and edo are used for beautification. We also
saw a giant pot that is used for cooking in any ceremony e.g wedding
ceremony, traditional marriage e.t.c. They also portrayed male
blacksmitters, we saw how metals are been melted and used in
producing things like, knife, guns and some other war equipments. After
everything, questions were been asked by the students and were been
answered correctly by the educationist. Some questions like why the
windows in the museums were been placed higher and the answer was
because if the windows are down or located to were some exhibitions
are been made, it may deface or fade the museum objects or reduce the
quality or design of the object e.t.c.

CONCLUSION
At the end of the enrolment inside the museum, we came out and the
museum curator led us in some topics in introduction to museum. Some
topics like how the museum do their collection, how the museum is been
classified into different categories, how they exhibit their objects and
some other important factors and topics.
 The enugu state museum was established under the leadership of chief
dr. Olusegun obasanjo in 2006. We impacted so many knowledge at the
museums and so many side viewing that are also important in knowing
some positive and interesting thing about the museum. We came back by
sharp 06:30 pm in the evening.