You can touch them gently ," the guide suggests to the visitors, pointing to two large engraved elephant tusks dating from the 16th century, suspended from the ceiling by chains, inside one of the galleries of the National Museum in Lagos, the economic and cultural capital of Nigeria.
Freshly redesigned to allow visitors to "interact" with some of the exhibited objects and to photograph them without restriction, the floor-to-ceiling white gallery with its subdued lighting was designed to promote an "immersive" experience , explains Tinuke Odunfa, who led the makeover, to AFP.
The gallery houses one of the most comprehensive collections in the country, with major archaeological and ethnographic objects such as the 5th-century Nok terracotta figurines, arranged chronologically, each accompanied by a brief explanatory note.
Some pieces in the permanent exhibition, particularly those made of wood and metal, are arranged so that visitors can touch them and "feel" them , adds Olusegun Adeleye, 51, head of exhibitions at the museum.
"This reminds me of certain aspects of London museums ," reacted Joanna Lampejo, 38, a Londoner visiting Nigeria for the first time.
"British Museum, how far?"
Between humor and provocation, in a corner of the gallery, sit three empty boxes, simply occupied by a small Nigerian flag and an inscription "British Museum, how far?" ("What's happening?" in Nigerian Pidgin).
The message directly criticizes the British Museum, which refuses to return to Nigeria the works looted during colonization, unlike other international art institutions and some former colonial powers that have agreed to return a number of these treasures.
In Nigeria, it is mainly bronzes from the Kingdom of Benin that have been returned in recent years by German , Scottish, Dutch and American institutions , but it is estimated that hundreds of other objects are still in Europe and America.
These art and craft objects were looted in 1897 by the British army during a punitive expedition marked by the sacking of present-day Benin City, the former capital of the Kingdom of Benin and the current capital of Edo State in southern Nigeria.
"This renovation shows that we can protect and preserve our objects ourselves; we don't need another country to do it for us ," says the museum's curator, Nkechi Adedeji.
Social networks
Since the renovated gallery opened to the public in April, it has been attracting more visitors than before, says Ms. Adedeji, without giving figures.
Its new photogenic look is attracting more schoolchildren and young adults, with photos and videos being shared more and more online on social media, making it a popular destination among "content creators" active on Instagram and TikTok.
"They come here, create content and, in the blink of an eye, it's everywhere," comments the curator, happy to be able to affirm that now, "young people are flocking in droves."
"I love the way the objects are displayed ," enthuses Oyin Isioye, a 25-year-old photographer who is visiting the museum for the first time and has "learned a lot...where the objects come from, what they represent."
Across Africa's most populous country, other renovation projects for national museum sites are being considered, particularly to accommodate the return of newly looted works.
But funding is scarce and the Nigerian government is seeking private partners to carry out the vast project of reviving its museums.
