No fewer than one thousand visitors, including children and parents on Tuesday, converged at the National Museum of Unity for the annual Children’s Day Celebration.
The Museum’s curator, Mrs Oriyomi Otuka, said the children converged not just to honor themselves, but to reaffirm collective commitment to protecting their rights and nurturing their future.
Otuka said there could be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treated its children.
According to her, the day’s theme: “For Every Child, Every Right”, echoes deeply within the walls of this museum because, here, we believe that children are the heartbeat of our nation and the soul of our heritage.
“At the National Museum of Unity, Ibadan, we are especially proud to say that children form the largest and most vibrant group of our visitors.
“Their curious minds, their eagerness to learn, and their joyful presence are the very things that breathe life into our exhibitions and give purpose to our work.
“We hold our children dearly to our hearts because they are not just the leaders of tomorrow, but they are vital to our unity, our cultural continuity, and our collective future.
“Every story we preserve, every cultural value we showcase, is for them to inspire, educate, and empower.
“As we celebrate today, let it be a reminder that every child has a right to education, freedom, identity, protection, and joy.
“We, as a society, have the duty to uphold these rights in every space, including cultural institutions like ours and every child to know they are valued, important, and this museum is your home.
“Dream big, ask questions, explore boldly because your future is bright, and we are proud to journey with you,”she said.
Momoore Udoh, a student of Rosakin High School, Moniya, said that Children’s Day is a day she looks forward to asides her birthday.
“This is because it is a day we celebrate ourselves and have maximum fun and enjoy special privileges and always fun for us children.
“This is my first day at the museum and very happy to be here. I saw different artifacts and learn about Sango and our history.”
Itunuoluwa Alagbala, student of The Pledge Of God College, Ibadan, said, “Today is for enjoyment and receiving gifts, being my second time to be here and jokes aside, it’s a very good and memorable experience.
“The things inside the museum are very educative and entertaining. I learnt about Nigeria’s history which was divided into various zones,” she said.
Elizabeth Somide of Jireolaniran International College, relayed her experience at the museum, saying she learnt about the different cultures and their significances.
NAN reports that some of the schools present were Bestline Royal Academy, Samest Excellent, Rosakin School, Jire Olanikan College, Rafan International, Happylife School, Gaius Private School, Oladele Private School and Best Future Kiddies.
The event featured various games to keep the children busy and enjoy their day, while there were dancing competition, filling the bottles, among others to make the day memorable. (NAN)
