Towards attracting more visitors to the museum

Museum as a cultural institution and tourist centre renders services to the general public. Its development depends on how it can keep, control and satisfy its target audience. Some scholars are of the opinion that good relationship between museum and its audience is very important in order to increase the number of its visitors.

Be it as it may, the appropriate use of language remains the strongest and powerful instrument for museum to achieve this important aim.

Human relation in the work place, has a lot of roles to play, but the most important aspect of it all falls on the shoulders of the staff, because they are the first contact of the customers or visitors, especially in a museum setting.

In any society throughout the world, human relation brings about intimacy, friendship and closeness through effective use of language. Language is a vital asset of human race which has contributed to his development and domineering status over other biotic on the globe.

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Many linguists see the structure of language as having evolved to serve specific communicative and social functions. Thus, in every organisation, language serves as a powerful instrument for overall development.

It is important to note that regardless of how effective an organisation is, it does not have desired impact if the public and its target audience are not given special consideration, especially now that museums are at a critical moment in their history in Nigeria.

In order to ensure survival into the next century, members of staff in a museum must demonstrate social relevance for their target audience through cordial relationship; this means developing their public service functions through becoming more knowledgeable about the needs of their visitors, while providing enjoyable and worthwhile experiences.

Recent research has shown that human relation in several sectors which exist between members of staff and customers has been helping such organisations satisfy their customers

It is not out of place, however, that most Nigerians today appear to have forgotten the roads leading to several museums across the country. Besides oral tradition, the museum is the storehouse of Nigeria’s rich history. But if there is a lack of relation between officials of the museum and the audience, then the museums will continue to drive away their audience.

• Adewole is of the National Commission for Museum and Monuments (NCMM), Osogbo, Osun State.