Africa’s first dental museum has been commissioned by the Director-General, National Commission for Museums and Monuments, (NCMM) Mallam Yusuf Abdallah Usman in Ife recently.
Usman commended Prof Eyitope Ogunbodede, founder of the private and specialized museum, The Dema Foundation Dental Museum , for his the giant strides and commitment in furthering research and education on the history of dentistry in Nigeria.
Recounting part of the core objectives of the Commission, as a supervising body to promote and regulate the establishment of all private and corporate museums in the country, Usman seized the opportunity to call on all unregistered museums and galleries to endeavor to regularize their establishments before the full wrath of the law is brought upon them.
The DG enjoined all lovers of knowledge from variety of fields, to emulate the founder and contribute their quota to world knowledge by undertaking to establish museums and chronicles of history, preservers and conservers of heritage and educational resource centres.
Ogunbodede in his address, regaled the gathering about his sojourn and quest for more knowledge in the dental business which spurred him to open the Dema Foundation Dental Museum. He added that the issue of sustainability of the dental museum has been given adequate thought and proper plans put in place to ensure it continues to improve.
The museum founded in 2013, houses amongst others; the first dental chair used in Nigeria, assorted dental laboratory equipment and clinical instruments. Other exhibits include materials depicting the evolution of general and dental education from the early 20th century till present, a hall of fame with photographs and other essential information on the early practitioners of dentistry.
The trip was also an opportunity for Usman to pay a condolence visit to the council of chiefs in Ife over the death of the Ooni, Alayeluwa Oba Okunade Sijuwade.
Usman, while eulogizing the virtues of the late Ooni, stated that the royal father was not just a father figure to Yoruba people but a cultural icon and traditional trailblazer who epitomized African culture beyond the shore of Nigeria and Africa at large.
He highlighted the various contributions of the late Ooni to the development of Nigeria’s cultural sector, especially his support of the NCMM, in all its International and local exhibitions since 2009.
He described the late oba as a bridge-builder, whose friendship across the length and breadth of Nigeria is unequalled and prayed for the repose of the late Ooni’s soul, while intimating the gathering that he shall in due course rejoice with the people of Ife when they chose the next successor to the throne.
