The National Commission for Museums and Monuments has spotlighted two of Nigeria’s significant historical landmarks; the Dufuna Canoe in Yobe State and the Lord Lugard Foot Bridge in Lokoja — as symbols of the country’s rich archaeological and colonial heritage.
The curators made the highlights in a statement jointly signed by Assistant Director and Curator at the National Museum Owerri, Nancy Chizomam Ikpe, and Chief Museum Education Officer at the National Museum Lagos, Iroko Ekundayo Nunayon and made available to Online on Saturday
According to the statement, the Dufuna Canoe, discovered in 1987 by a Fulani herdsman, Malam Ya’u, near the village of Dufuna in the Fune Local Government Area of Yobe State, is estimated to be 8,000 years old, making it the oldest known watercraft in Africa and the second oldest in the world.
The statement noted that radiocarbon dating of charcoal samples found at the discovery site placed the canoe at approximately 6,000 BCE. The artefact measures 8.4 metres in length and 0.5 metres in height at its tallest point and is currently preserved at the National Museum in Damaturu.
The curators said, “The Dufuna Canoe is more than an archaeological artifact; it embodies the ingenuity, adaptation, and survival skills of early African societies.”
They added, “Its discovery challenges long-held assumptions about the technological sophistication of prehistoric communities in the Sahel region.”
Carved from a single tree trunk, the canoe is believed to have served early communities along the Komadugu Gana River for fishing, the transportation of goods, and communication between settlements. Its construction, the curators noted, reflected advanced woodworking skills and a deep understanding of river navigation.
Preserving the canoe after its excavation required chemical stabilisation and controlled drying to prevent decay, as prolonged submersion had rendered the wood fragile upon exposure to air.
On the Lord Lugard Foot Bridge in Lokoja, Kogi State, the curators said, “The Lord Lugard Foot Bridge remains a modest yet meaningful monument within Nigeria’s historical landscape. While small in physical scale, its historical weight is considerable.”
The bridge is associated with Frederick Lugard, who served as High Commissioner of the Northern Protectorate and later as Governor-General following the 1914 amalgamation of Nigeria.
Situated near the confluence of the Niger and Benue Rivers, Lokoja served as a key administrative and logistical centre during British colonial rule. The bridge is believed to have been constructed to facilitate movement within government quarters and between administrative buildings in the town.
The curators said, “The bridge represents the expansion of British administrative control, the transformation of Lokoja into a colonial headquarters, and the infrastructural foundations of modern governance systems.”
They also noted that the structure served “as a reminder of the broader colonial experience and its lasting effects on Nigeria’s political and social development.”