National War Museum, Umuahia

The Nigerian National War Museum in Umuahia showcases the military history of Nigeria with relics form the Biafra-Nigerian Civil War. It has a collection of tanks, armored vehicles, ships, and aircraft all from Nigeria or the defunct Republic of Biafra.[1] Almost all tanks and AFLs are Biafran and all aircraft are Nigerian.[2] It holds in it the evidence of the internal war in Nigeria from 1967 to 1970. The museum is considered a heritage site.


The National war museum in Umuahia Nigeria
National War Museum
Established1985
LocationUmuahia North, Umuahia, Abia State, Nigeria
Coordinates5.54498°N 7.48615°E / 5.54498; 7.48615
TypeWar museum

History

Ideas to create a national war museum began after an official visit by Lt. General Theophilous Danjuma's official visit to Yugoslavia in 1977. The plans were approved that year by the Supreme Military Council of Lt. General Olusegun Obasanjo's administration. Exploratory studies for the museum's establishment began, and the project was launched in 1985.[1]

The museum is located at Ebite Amafor in Isingwu Autonomous Community in the Umuahia North Local Government Area, the same place where the bunker for the Voice of Biafra was during the war.[3] The radio station is still intact as is a subterranean former office and command post for the Governor of Biafra, nicknamed the "Ojukwu Bunker".[1]

It features three permanent exhibition galleries,[3] along with an open-air gallery. The first exhibit is the "Traditional Warfare Gallery" and covers weapons from traditional indigenous warfare. The second exhibit is the "Armed Forces Gallery" and covers the evolution of the Nigerian Army from 1963 to present. The last exhibit, "The Civil War Gallery", shows photographs and objects from the war. The open-air gallery shows heavy military hardware from the army, navy, and air force. [1]

The museum also features an annex at Ugwunchara at the former residence of Dr. Michael Iheonukara Okpara, a premier of the Eastern Nigeria region from 1959 to 1966.[1]

Collection

Source for contents:[1][2][3]

Torpedo used by the Nigerian Navy aboard NNS Nigeria now known as NNS Obuma


Air force pavilion

Army pavilion

References
  1. Onuora, Chijioke N. (2015-09-02). "The National War Museum, Umuahia: Preservation of Civil War Memorials and Nigerian Military History". Critical Interventions. 9 (3): 204–218. doi:10.1080/19301944.2016.1157350. ISSN 1930-1944.
  2. Onuora, Chijioke, ed. (2016). The National War Museum Umuahia (PDF). Development Alternatives and Resource Center. ISBN 978-1-61163-880-6.
  3. "Umuahia and its war museum - The Nation Nigeria". The Nation. March 7, 2015. Retrieved March 27, 2018.
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