Renowned ceramic artist, Oyelere Akinkunmi, popularly known as Akinpotter, has donated a collection of clay artifact reproductions to the National Museum of Unity, Ibadan, in a heartfelt gesture aimed at promoting cultural preservation and education.
The donation, which came as a surprise to museum staff, was announced by the museum’s curator, Oriyomi Pamela Sosu Otuka, who shared the news via her Facebook page.
“Some weeks ago, the National Museum of Unity, Ibadan, reached out to Mr. Oyelere Akinkunmi with a heartfelt request,” she wrote. “We asked for the reproduction of some of our earliest works in clay… Today, to our greatest surprise and delight, he visited the museum unannounced and presented the requested clay works!”
The artist’s gesture will play a key role in helping the museum educate thousands of schoolchildren who visit the gallery regularly, offering them a more interactive and engaging experience of Nigeria’s cultural history through touch, sight, and storytelling.
Responding to the gesture, Akinpotter also shared a message on his social media platform, emphasizing the collective responsibility of safeguarding cultural heritage.
“It is all our responsibility to sustain our cultural heritage in all capacity we can,” he wrote. “Because if we don’t, our culture will become unknown to the unborn generation, and it might take them a lot of time, stress, and money before they can get to the root of our culture. That would be bad on our part due to our negligence to keep it alive, known, and visible for them.”
He expressed gratitude to the museum for the opportunity, referring to it as an honour to contribute to the institution’s core values.
“On this drive, I did as requested by the mother of museum in the heart of Ibadan—National Museum of Unity, Ibadan. I am honoured for the privilege to support the core value of the organisation,” he wrote.
Encouraging public engagement with the museum, Akinpotter added, “Pay a visit to the museum along with whoever you think of to know more about history and our culture. The museum is highly and fully loaded to satisfy your aspiration and to give you a beautiful memory you will never forget.”
He also thanked the curator, Mrs. Oriyomi Pamela Sosu Otuka, as well as other heads of departments and staff of the museum for their support.
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