A Discussion of the Challenges Confronting Archaeology and It's Practice in Nigeria

There is no gain saying that archaeology and archaeological practice in Nigeria is yet to achieve the desired results, particularly as it is yet to fully meet the needs of the society, and largely contribute to problem solving in contemporary terms. This is seemingly not unconnected to the fact that the practice of archaeology in the country is faced with a lot of challenges, especially in the recent times. Thus, the aim of this research is to discuss the nature of some of these challenges and make some suggestions that can largely improve archaeological practice in the country. The research draws from past/recent concerns that have negatively impacted archaeology and its practice in the country. Much of the data for this research has been elicited from primary and secondary sources. The paper notes that the benefits of archaeology and its practice to Nigeria and her citizens are enormous and therefore, adequate to give all cultural heritage (CH) stakeholders a strong motivation towards repositioning the discipline. Doing this appropriately implies that, Nigeria has begun the journey towards benefiting from the numerous opportunities presented by the discipline for sustainable development.

毋庸置疑，尼日利亚的考古学及考古实践尚未达到预期成效，既未能充分契合社会需求，也未能在当代语境下为问题解决作出显著贡献。这显然与该国考古实践近年面临的诸多挑战不无关联。因此，本研究旨在探讨其中部分挑战的本质，并提出可有效改善该国考古实践的相关建议。本研究援引了此前及近期对该国考古学及其实践产生负面影响的各类议题，研究数据大多取自一手及二手资料。本文指出，考古学及其实践对尼日利亚及其国民的裨益甚巨，足以让所有文化遗产（Cultural Heritage, CH）利益相关方获得重塑该学科地位的强大动力。若能妥善推进此项工作，则意味着尼日利亚已踏上从该学科为可持续发展提供的诸多机遇中获益的征程。