National Museum of Unity Ibadan

Organization: National Museum of Unity Ibadan

Country: Nigeria

Year: 2023

Sustainability aspiration

The National Museum of Unity Ibadan aims to use its collections to educate and create awareness on climate change impact and mitigation, including greenhouse gas emission reduction, and to preserve these collections from damage and losses due to climate-related risks.

In this OCM field project, the museum organized a climate change and conservation programme for cultural and non-cultural organizations and students. A specialist delivered the programme in collaboration with the museum team. It also involved planting trees and flowers in the museum surroundings and exploring the possibility of using solar energy in the museum.

Participants increased their knowledge and motivation about using heritage collections to achieve sustainable development goals, particularly about climate change and climate action, as well as the need to protect collections from climate-related impacts. Staff members from other cultural organizations have been enabled and encouraged to replicate this initiative in their work to accelerate, increase and amplify activities that support sustainable development through the use, development and conservation of heritage collections.

The museum collections involved in this initiative saw a significant improvement in their conservation needs, thanks to the project. This conservation effort not only ensured the collections' availability and accessibility to the target audience and visitors but also underscored the project's success.

This field project is not just a local initiative but a global one, aligning with the UN Agenda 2030 goal to take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts. It particularly focuses on improving education, awareness-raising, and human and institutional capacity for climate change mitigation, adaptation, and impact reduction.