Nigerian National Museum

About this place

The Nigerian National Museum is in Onikan on Lagos Island, run by the National Commission for Museums and Monuments. It holds a notable collection of Nigerian art, including statues, carvings and archaeological and ethnographic pieces. It reopened in April 2026 after a major overhaul that improved the building and power supply and digitised its objects, so it is now better suited to a visit. The English archaeologist Kenneth Murray founded it in 1957 to preserve Nigeria's historical objects. He displayed traditional masks he had collected in Cross River State. In its first decade the British Museum gave it two plaques and other pieces. Among its best-known items is the Jemaa Head, a terracotta head dated between 900 and 200 BC. You see a low building of pale brick and glass, with a small garden, lawns and paths around it. The galleries hold old black-and-white photographs, farm tools and textiles, objects of daily life and bronze masks from Benin. They move through the country's history from ancient times to the colonial era and independence. Tarkwa Bay Beach is about 5 km away in a straight line, and central Lagos Island is close. An hour or two is a comfortable visit. Ask about photo rules in the galleries. Lagos traffic is heavy, so allow plenty of time to arrive, and choose the morning.