Abstract:
Cultural properties are of immense value to any nation, they talk so much about where any society is coming from, they are a foundation for the past which gives birth to the present, and the present is a spring board into the future. Nigeria has been in a persistent danger of losing her cultural properties completely. Most of her cultural properties have been stolen, and some others have deteriorated due to lack of adequate preservation which has resulted from poor museum management as well as inability to advance our museum practice to internationally accepted standards. Since the establishment of museums and the enforcement of laws prohibiting unlawful movement of cultural properties, illegal exportation of cultural properties has reduced drastically. However, loss of cultural properties through deterioration due to inadequate preservation remains unaddressed. These are largely due to the fact that the team work between the museums and their host communities in the preservation of our cultural property has greatly been undermined. This study examined museum-community collaborative initiatives in the preservation of cultural property in selected parts of Igbo land. The investigations carried out began with exhaustive literature review. Random sampling method was employed to determine those among the targeted population of study to be interviewed while Likert scale method was used to address the close ended questionnaire which were distributed to respondents. Chi Square method of data analysis was employed to give clarification on the quantitative data. Thus, the method of study employed followed the ethnographic precepts (the use both qualitative and quantitative approaches). The findings showed that there is a significant positive relationship between museum-community collaborative initiative and the preservation of cultural property. It is therefore recommended that museums should adopt a policy such that their host communities participate in the day-today conservation of cultural properties. Also, museums should learn how to engage the host communities in its programmes so as to get them fully involved.
