Factors Militating the Development of Jos Museum and its Role in the Preservation of Historical and Religious Heritage

Abstract

It is obvious that a museum, since prehistoric studies, has purposefully provided space for processing, storage and display of historical, archaeological and ethnographic as well as modern art objects and relaxation. The Jos museum was founded within this historical objective. But it becomes obvious that the essence of the Jos museum seems to be losing its relevance and it is capable of meeting the proposed essence of being a museum. Looking at the set-up of the Jos museum, one laments over the maintenance culture embedded in the preservation and sustenance of the subjects (animals and artefacts). The aim of this paper is to explore the roleswhich Jos museum plays in the preservation of cultural, historical and religious knowledge. Using the historical analytical method, the study uses primary and secondary sources for data collection and systematic observations in order to underscore factors or problems militating against the museum and the possible solutions for alleviating such problems. This work revives the intended aim for starting the Jos museum and urges the need to support its activities and growth for national development. Only then that our cultural and religious values and identities can be preserved for the next generation in the midst of a technological century and the centuries to come.