By Chidinma Ewunonu-Aluko, Ibadan
Experts on museum matters, on Thursday, called for involvement of more stakeholders in the funding and management of museums to make them veritable sources of revenue generation.
They made the call in interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ibadan, saying that improved management of museums would boost tourism.
Mr Akeem Ashiyanbi, a Research Fellow at the Institute of African Studies, University of Ibadan, told NAN that more stakeholders’ involvement in museum management and development would enhance its educational and cultural outcomes for the country’s benefits.
Ashiyanbi said: “Stakeholders should take into account series of principles that include important aspects as practised elsewhere, such as being open, transparent and accountable, having in mind not only the organisational mission but also the interests of the stakeholders.
“Museums connected to and involving stakeholders should be open-system, they should have access to different types of funding and better networking to build more consistent support among stakeholders.
“Performance should be an indicator of sustainability while marketing/market orientation could be a way to increase economic outcomes as well as cultural and educational outcomes.
”Stakeholders’ management strategies should also be considered for the sustainable development of museums and their host communities.”
He urged preservation of the heritage, maintaining a high degree of heritage enhancement and active and attractive services in accordance with the needs of host communities.
According to him, there should be establishment of functional networks around museums as they are beneficial to the museums, the users and the society at large.
He added that there should be adequate marketing strategies for sustainable development of museums.
“Stakeholders should ensure that museums be made to improve their sustainability by upholding quality development, leading to enhanced experiences, audience development and higher visitors’ satisfaction.
“Museum management should consider having in mind protection and strengthening of natural and human capital, as well as relationship marketing in order to generate increased loyalty, cultural participation and cultural effectiveness.
“This includes frequently communicating with committed and important stakeholders as well as visitors.
“Increasing visitors’ value is at the core of successful marketing strategies, leading to reputation and loyalty.
“A study on a sample of European museums confirms that quality, prestige and innovation positively and significantly influence museum sustainability,” he said
The researcher urged that museum managers should fully involve external and internal stakeholders and employees.
“Increased involvement in decision-making processes would lead to increased attachment and loyalty of employees to the museum, and enhancement of innovation and efficiency,” he said.
A former Curator, National Museum of Unity, Ibadan, Dr Amos Olorunnipa, urged more recognition of museum as a powerful institution, socially, economically, politically and culturally.
“Let us use the museum as learning from the past as it provides an insight into the history of human kind; the lessons we can learn from past events, crisis and tragedies are priceless.
“Learning in museums helps us to understand the historical value of objects, respect diverse cultures and understand multiculturalism of the country.
“Exploring museums gives students, who attend a field trip to an art museum, increase in critical thinking skills, historical empathy and tolerance.
“Funding should be focused towards museums,” he urged.
He advocated establishment of community museums in consideration of the importance of museums.
He said that some museums required urgent government and other stakeholders’ attention.
Olorunnipa, also a heritage consultant, called for institution of a cultural fund project similar to the ecological fund, specifically for funding museums.
“Apart from this, we need careful inventorisation and documentation of our artifacts, monuments, built heritage, culture tangible and intangible, for their concrete preservation, conservation, management and marketing.
“I suggest that museums should align with educational and art institutions from the grassroots to higher levels of the educational system.
“This requires some examination of the relationships between individual museums and the communities as well as societies that they function within,” he said. (NAN)
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