Nigeria is endowed with enormous mineral and human resources which have rich cultural heritage, even though the nation has concentrated more on petroleum as her crucial and major means of income. Nevertheless, Agriculture and trading also play a role in the economy of the nation. The honest truth is that being referred as “Gaint Of Africa” means that Nigeria is great particularly, in the sphere of human population, human resources, diverse cultural heritage and tradition, among others.
In the aspect of cultural heritage, Nigeria has three major ethnic groups (Igbo, Hausa and Yoruba) and over 200 minor ethnic groups like Ijaw, Urhobo, Itshekiri, Igala, Tiv, Fulani, etc each of which has distinct cultural patrimonies and indigenous art and craft works.
The people of Nigeria did not abandon their tradition and values completely during their interaction with the colonial masters, realising that it is their identity, although some aspects of their practice was affected, like their dressing, marriage pattern, family structures and some others as well as the introduction and existence of museums for adequate preservation and protection of tangible cultural heritage items of great value which were originally kept in shrines, palaces, homes and were used as items of religious worship, daily existence, protection, warfare, cults, healing, security and so on.
The existence of museum in Nigeria has created an avenue for social interaction, cultural heritage tourism, cultural and creative enterprises establishment, all for the essence of national development.
Heritage is known as those things passed on to us from our forefathers to preserve and keep for the future generation to enjoy and appreciate.
Culture is referred to as the belief, custom, practices and social behaviour of a particular nation or place (Encarta; 2009). It is also a social inheritance, that gives structure to our lives (Nwabueze; 2004). This is to say that there is no future without a past (Lawuyi and Ukpokolo 2012:211). According to Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR), the concept “Culture” encompasses the way of life, language, oral and written literature, music and song, nonverbal communication, religion or believe system, rites and ceremonies, sports and games, method of production or technology, natural and manmade environments, arts, clothing and shelter, food where communities and individuals build their existence, give meaning to life and express their humanity.
Cultural heritage, according to International Cultural of Museum (ICM; 1950), is the sum total of wild life and scenic parks, sites of scientific or historical importance, national monuments, historic buildings and works of art, literature and music, oral tradition, and museum collections together with their documentation.
Cultural identity constitutes those attributes, behavioural patterns, lifestyle, social structures and norms that distinguish the people from other people. This is as observed by Omekwu (2003).
Museum has been defined as a public institution that collects, studies, exhibits and conserve objects for cultural and educational purpose (Okpoko, 2011:1). Hoffman (2006:44) said museums are dedicated to preserving the past for the future.
Tourism is a journey, a passage through time (UNESCO; 2006). It is the act of travelling for a short term from one nation or place to another for recreation, education or rest. Frankline (2003:11) opined that tourism is not synonymous with travel, it is a modern stand to the world. According to Lickotich and Jenkins (1997:10), tourisms is a recent invention of which the word was unknown in English language until the recent century. Free and white (2011:181) stated that tourism can be important to a people’s sense of national identity because it serves to operationalise the stories, the history and the linkage with the land.
Cultural heritage tourism, according to United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), is the movement of persons for essentially cultural motivations such as study tour, performing art and culture tour, travel to festival and other cultural events, visits to heritage sites and monuments, travel to study nature, folklores and arts, and pilgrimages. It is also defined by the National Trust for Historic Preservation (NTHP) as “traveling to experience the places, artifacts and activities that authentically represent the stories and people of the past and present. It includes cultural, historic and natural resources. (NTHP 2008).
Tourism development is the process of establishing and maintaining a tourism industry in a particular location. It can also be the process of developing strategies and plans to increase/develop courage tourism in a particular destination.
National development is the capacity of the country to raise the standard of living of its residents, which could be achieved by providing basic livelihood requirements and supplying them with employments, to create growth, bring progress and positive change.
Nigeria is endowed with historical and archaeological sites, which have the potential to be an important heritage destination, which tourists are most interested in worldwide. Being a nation with colourful cultures and traditions, of which most of its tangible evidence lies in the museum for public education and enjoyment, makes it a tourist destination.
Museum is an attractive economic development institution which is enriching public centres that can promote national economy through tourism by its ability to influence positively the capacity to reflect both continuity and change while preserving cultural and natural heritage of the nation, which is the nation’s pride and identity.
The Federal Government instituted four national unity museums in Maiduguri, Sokoto, Ibadan and Enugu after the Nigeria – Biafra War which raged from 1967 – 1970, in a bid for unity and further expansion.
The aim of these museums was to encourage national unity and development through cultural awareness and orientation. Presently, museums are located in almost all the states of the federation under the nation body NCMM (National Commission for Museum and Monument) which sees to the well being of the museums in Nigeria. The body is led by a Director General as the chief executive, who is assisted by other Directors.
The management of the body, NCMM has seven departments, namely, Administration and Supplies; Finance and Accounts; Museums; Monuments, Heritage and Sites; Research, Planning and Publication, Educational Service, and Legal service.
The museum being an institute set out to collect rare valuable objects of human existence, are dedicated to help people understand the history of human civilization, a nation’s cultural differences and similarities, technological advancement, indigenous crafts and styles of the people, from generation to generation.
Museum as a relevant entity, houses the nation’s pride, thereby preserving the cultural identity of the nation, through which people become aware of the relationship with their environment, their past and the need to infuse certain basic values of the past into the various elements of contemporary practices where such past values are still relevant to the present day needs and aspiration (Okpoko 2011: 11).
In maximising and revitalising Nigerian museum potentials development, most of the challenges hampering the life and existence of the museum like inadequate power supply, poor funding, theft and insecurity should be harnessed urgently.

Ogbuebue is a staff of National Museum, Port Harcourt.