Dikko Idris

Biography

Dikko is the Deputy Director (Curatorial) for the National Commission for Museums and Monuments Nigeria (NCMM). Dikko has previously held the position of Assistant Director (Museums) for NCMM. Dikko conducts research on Nigerian cultural history using cultural materials and assists in the development and implementation of Nigerian cultural policy. He has also been transferred to National Museum Gidan Makama, Kano, to Rock Art Interpretation Center, National Museum Birnin Kudu as Curator in-Charge.

Dikko is currently planning an exhibition on the Hausa material culture facing the threat of extinction. These cultural materials and the traditional industries that produced them are currently facing extinction. Some have already disappeared, and their function or usage are not known, especially by young people. The aim of this exhibition is to identify the cultural materials and industries facing extinction by taking the museum visitors centuries back through history.

Dikko graduated from Ahmadu Bello University Zaria in 1998 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History. After one year of compulsory National Service in Cross-River State South-South Nigeria, Dikko joined NCMM 2000 as Curator II. While in service; he attended the Institute of Archaeology and Museum Studies in Jos Plateau state North Central Nigeria in 2007 where he obtained a Post Graduate Diploma in Museology.

Dikko has attended museum related training programmes both local and international which greatly shaped his professional work and career development. In 2011, he was appointed as Curator in-charge (Head of Station) of a newly established museum in Jigawa state, North-West Nigeria. In 2015, Dikko transferred to Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Nigeria where he was appointed as Curator in-charge of the Department of Archaeology Museum. His responsibilities include: documentation, exhibition planning, research, in-house training of Museum staff and students on placement to the museum. In 2017, he returned to the National Commission for Museums and Monuments and promoted to the rank of Chief Curator and posted to National Museum Gidan Makama Kano, with additional responsibilities.

His research interests include museum collections, cultural history and scientific investigation into cultural heritage.

Currently, Dikko is running an M.A Degree programme in History for the Department of History, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Nigeria.

At the British Museum
During his time on the International Training Programme in 2011, Dikko was based in the Department of Africa, Oceania and the America’s and his partner placement was spent at the National Museum of Wales.

In 2011 participants were asked to develop a proposal for a small temporary exhibition using an object from the British Museum’s collections. Dikko’s exhibition project proposal was entitled Tracing roots – the cultural relations between Africa and Brazil.

Dikko’s place on the ITP was generously supported by Mr Miles Morland.

Legacy Projects
In November 2015 Dikko attended the ITP Mumbai Workshop Creating Museums of World Stories. The workshop was held at CSMVS and was attended by many ITP fellows from different years and countries, UK partners and British Museum Colleagues. In his project group, Dikko worked on an exhibition concept entitled From Blue Dragon Harbour to Sin City, focusing on the city of Shanghai in China.

In May 2017 Dikko returned to the British Museum to attend the ITP+ Course on temporary exhibitions & permanent display with fellows from China, India, Iran, Kenya, Nigeria, Pakistan and Turkey, and different ITP years.

In 2020, Dikko attended the International Training Programme’s series of online subject specialist sessions. Dikko attended:
Circulating Artefacts: A global platform against the looting and trafficking of cultural property
Project management in the cultural sector: a guide to principles, processes and performance
Socio-economic Impact Assessment for Heritage: Why Do We Need to Learn This?
International copyright and artist’s rights
Setting up a Subject Specialist Network (SSN)

ITP Newsletter Publications
ITP Newsletter Issue 3 (2016), How the ITP changed my life
ITP Newsletter Issue 5 (2018), Did you know? Rock art in Nigeria
ITP Newsletter Issue 5 (2018), Global perspectives: Museums in Nigeria