THE RIGWE NATION OF PLATEAU STATE, HOST OF THE 2024 INTERNATIONAL MUSEUM DAY IN JOS PLATEAU STATE

Kudos to the Rigwe Nation, the 2024 host of the International Museum Day in Jos, Plateau state, for their very wonderful outing that ensured massive attendance, wide jubilation and generous display of various forms of heritage, traditional and cultural entertainment packages by different Rigwe cultural groups that comprise the old and young, the male and female and multiple other activities ranging from preparation of local cuisines to significant improvement through additional traditional architectural works introduced by the Rigwe Nation at the Rigwe compound located inside the Jos National Museum premises. Representation by the men and women of Rigwe land signifying ancient appearances and dressings of Men and Women of different times and events were visible at the 2024 International Museum Day celebration in Jos, Plateau state hosted by the Rigwe Nation on Saturday, May 18th 2024. It is on record that the 2024 host attracted the participation of almost all the indigenous ethnic groups in Plateau state who also displayed their own cultural activities.

The 2024 International Museum Day hosting by the Rigwe Nation in Jos, Plateau state, is considered a defining moment for all other ethnic nationalities in Plateau state. It was a phenomenal outing that will remain indelible in the minds of many people that witnessed the event, a bitter pill to swallow by those that missed it and a celebration of sort by the management and staff of the Jos National Museum who after the 2024 International Museum Day celebration have every reason to give huge sigh of relief, as well as applaud and count themselves lucky that their efforts were not in vain.

Important to note about the success of the 2024 host of the International Museum Day, the Rigwe Nation under the umbrella name of Irigwe Development Association (IDA), and led by Dr. Daniel Gya is the fact that they did not only know but indeed realized their fundamental role as a critical partner and stakeholder towards the preservation, protection and maintenance of the heritage, culture and tradition of the people. They understood vividly the role the National Museum Management that invited them to host the event expected them to play, as well as had respect for and believed fervently in the principles and objectives of the International Council of Museums (ICOM) that led to the organization of the International Museum Day annually and globally every May 18th, to create awareness of the rich cultural and natural heritage of humanity.

Rigwe Traditional Architecture located at the National Museum Jos

Another driver for the successes recorded by the Rigwe nation as the host of the 2024 International Museum Day, in Jos Plateau state is traceable to the speech of the IDA President at the event, where he noted specifically that Nigeria is greatly endowed with diverse multi-ethnic cultures, and went further to observed without mincing words that Rigweland has been the hub for Peace and tourist destination since immemorial. He noted also that the choice of the Rigwe Nation by the authorities of the National Museums as the host of the 2024 event, in Jos the Plateau state capital was not a mistake, but a return to the reality of the celebration of the Nigerian historical Arts and Culture.

To buttress his assertions, the IDA President noted that Plateau state has distinguished itself as the most hospitable in the country, attracting both local and international guests and tourists. Continuing, he gave a deeper insight about the land saying:

“Rigweland and its people have been famous for adorning the state with their arts, cultural displays, entertainment, and tourist attractions, among which were the Festival of Arts and Culture (FESTAC) events that took place in Lagos in the 1970s, and the other in Europe during the pre-independent Nigeria, where the Rigwe played a key role in the cultural performances of both and more. 

Further enquiry about the Rigwe Nation reveals it is a land of hospitality. A significant measure of this claim is the fact that a rest house, Miango Rest Home, located in the area has existed there for 110 years without any form of molestation or abuse.

“The Rigwe Homeland is situated on the western edge of the Jos Plateau, primarily in the Rigwe Chiefdom of Bassa Local Government Area (LGA), parts of Jos North and Riyom LGAs (Plateau State), and Kauru LGA (Kaduna State)”. The Rigwe people are famously reputed as mounted warriors and hunters, and were formidable opponents to the Jihadist advancement towards the Jos Hill Country on the western escarpments of the Plateau.

Bassa LGA where the Yirigwe are prominently located is one of the 17 LGAs in Plateau State, North Central, Nigeria. The corrections below will help the public to relate better with the Rigwe people, in terms of the name of the Land, the People and their Language particularly.

A Rigwe citizen is known as “Yirigwe” and the people of the area are Yirigwe (signified by a stressed mark at the upper end of the letter “e” representing a slight tonal difference).

Similarly, the land is known as Rigwe or Mbe Rigwe, while the language is Rigwe. 

Rigwe compound, National Museum Jos

The Rigwe People is among the Iron Age societies of the Nok culture located in central Nigeria. Nok is the name of the Ham Village of Nok in kaduna State, one of the 36 states in Nigeria that became fundamentally significant in Nigeria’s traditional Arts history and discussions. This is because the name is used to represent, describe or categorize segments or clusters of various ancient art works discovered at different times in a number of locations. Precisely, Nok is the name given to the material remains (arts works) of the people of the area where the first art works in the area were discovered in 1928. The works were basically Terracotta that is burnt or fired clay sculptures.

Please Click this link: https://www.belfordscorelines.com/2024/05/pictures-of-2024-international-museum.html?m=1 for more pictures of ceremony 

By Nnabugwu Chizoba