National War Museum encourages creativity in children – Chief Conservator
By Leonard Okachie
The Chief Conservator of National War Museum Umuahia, Mrs Chika Ezeocha, says the museum has continued to encourage creativity in children and youths.
She told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Umuahia on Saturday that the museum was a tool for promoting peace and unity of the nation.
Ezeocha explained that the museum decided to establish the children and youth interactive gallery in order to provide opportunities to explore their creative thinking.
She said the gallery was not just a place where the age group were taught or where they look at pictures but also to have a one-on-one interaction and a touch of what museum objects were all about.
Ezeocha, who is also the Head of Department of the museum, took NAN Correspondent round the gallery, while showcasing some of the items and the arts works done by children.
She said: “I went to Germany, I saw and I came back to impart on the children so that they can showcase what it looks like to have unity and strength in Nigeria.
“Definitely, when a child comes here, what he sees is love, unity and sense of belonging because if you are from other tribes all of us are actually one people that can make a nation.
“The pictures on the wall are one of the exhibitions we had involving different schools where school children were taught, meant to draw and portray things about peace, unity and strength in Nigeria.”
According to Ezeocha, the gallery is borne out of her participation in the United Nations’ residency programme known as Unique Cluster, in Germany.
She said that she went to the military museum in that country, where she saw most of their items and thought of how she could use the opportunity to make an impact in Nigeria.
Ezeocha urged parents to encourage their children to always visit the museum, so that they could showcase their creative talents.
She commended the Curator, Mrs Evelyn Osuagwu, for her commitment in promoting peace and unity of Nigeria through the museum.
NAN reports that the war museum, being the only one of its kind in West Africa, showcases the military history in the country with relics from the Biafra-Nigerian Civil War.(NAN)
