By: Abdulrahman Rahmat
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Not until Monday, June 20, 2023, I have not visited a museum as a student of History and International Studies in Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto (UDUS). In a bid to explore artifacts in their natural sense, I collaborated with my coursemates to visit Waziri Junaidu museum situated in the seat of caliphate, Sokoto state.
It was a lively and educative trip to visit the edifice of history and cultural bureau for the first time. I fathomed a necessity for subsequent visit to learn, relearn and unlearn.
The tour opportuned me to meet Alhaji Bala Muhammad, the director general of the museum who acquinted me with analysis of different sections of the museum. He enlightened me on the impact of Waziri Junaidu museum in the development of Sokoto caliphate before and after colonialisation.
Historically, the museum which was established in 1973 (a decade after Nigeria’s first republic) is known with the display of cultural and historical heritage such as artifacts, journals, archive, etcetera. Scholars and researchers comfirmed that the museum is the largest Arabic manuscript in Nigeria.
Another curator of the museum showed us historical pictures of great personalities like Sultans of Sokoto, Mallam Babi D/assada, Mallam Alu Arkilla and others. He explained the impact and contribution of Alhaji Waziri Junaidu to the development of the museum which is why the museum was named in his honor.
I was able to see different artifacts like ‘firearms’ which were used to fight during the reign of Muhammad Attahiru 1. I learnt that the remaining of the firearms was used by the British forces against the force of Sokoto caliphate during colonialisation in 1903. Different pictures of ancient heroes and rulers of Sokoto caliphate were displayed in a section of the museum including the family tree of Usmanu Bin Fodiyo who lead the 1804 Jihad.
Moreso, the trip acquainted me with enormous developments of Nigeria such as Sokoto farming implements, leather work products, iron technology, traditional calligraphy, currency development in Nigeria, the iron gate, magajin rafia of Sokoto among others.
I was opportune to survey manuscript unit where thousands of dark age books were stored. The special library unit entails books written in Arabic, Hausa and English language. Another section of the museum contains pictorial display of Colonial government, Nigerian governmental administration with their cabinets. Absolutely, the visit was amazing and it’s a call for more.
The Writer: Abdulrahman Rahmat is a 300 level student of History and International Studies.
