The National Museum Lagos has remodelled a gallery to let visitors gently touch selected artefacts and take unrestricted photos, creating an intentional, immersive display that appeals to younger audiences. The space features major pieces such as engraved 16th-century elephant tusks and 5th-century Nok terracotta, and uses ambient lighting and sound to enhance the visitor experience. A striking installation — three empty cases labeled 'British museum, how far??' — signals Nigeria's push for repatriation of looted objects. The privately funded revamp, reopened in April, has increased visits from school groups and content creators and frees up space for items currently in storage.
National Museum Lagos Reopens Interactive Gallery — Touch, Take Photos, and Press for Repatriation
Tinuke Odunfa, the interior designer of the gallery, aimed to modernise the space and present Nigerian history in an an 'immersive' environment (OLYMPIA DE MAISMONT)(OLYMPIA DE MAISMONT/AFP/AFP)
A guide at the National Museum Lagos surprised visitors by inviting them to 'touch them gently' as they leaned over two large, engraved 16th-century elephant tusks on display. The moment — visitors feeling ivory to the soft beat of Afrobeats — captures the museum's new approach: making history tactile, social-media friendly and more accessible to younger audiences.
One of the museum's three galleries has been remodelled to allow carefully selected objects to be handled, reverse the usual no-touch rule and permit unrestricted photography, curator Nkechi Adedeji told AFP. Interior designer Tinuke Odunfa said the redesign aimed to create an intentional, immersive experience that guides visitors through Nigeria's past with contemporary aesthetics inspired by Lagos.
The gallery houses one of Nigeria's most comprehensive collections, from engraved 16th-century tusks to important archaeological and ethnographic items such as 5th-century terracotta from the indigenous Nok culture. White walls and glass cases frame objects arranged chronologically, each with concise explanatory notes, while low, ambient lighting sets a calm, reflective mood.
Certain wooden and metal objects in the permanent exhibition 'Echoes of the Past' have been displayed so visitors can touch and 'feel' them, said Olusegun Adeleye, head of exhibition. The tactile element and relaxed photography policy have made the space attractive to school groups, young adults and content creators, who share images and videos online.
'They come here, do content and before you know it, it is all over the place. Youths are coming in droves now,' Adedeji said, describing a surge in younger visitors since the gallery reopened in April.
In a pointed curatorial statement, three empty cases hold a sheet reading 'British museum, how far??' — a Pidgin-English prompt meaning 'what's up?' — underscoring Nigeria's intent to pursue repatriation of artefacts held overseas. While Western institutions in recent years have returned several hundred items, many more remain abroad.
The remodelling was financed by a private donor and created additional display space for a collection the bulk of which remains in storage. Museum officials say further refurbishments are underway: another Lagos gallery is closed for renovation, other sites nationwide are being readied, and authorities are seeking partners to help accommodate future repatriations.
'This renovation shows that we can protect and preserve our objects ourselves; we do not need any other country to do it for us,' Adedeji said, framing the makeover as both a conservation and cultural-identity initiative.
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