The National Commission for Museums and Monuments has drawn attention to two important historical landmarks in Nigeria , the Dufuna Canoe and the Lord Lugard Foot Bridge in Lokoja describing them as significant representations of the country’s archaeological and colonial history.
The curators disclosed this in a statement jointly signed by Assistant Director and Curator at the National Museum Owerri, Nancy Chizomam Ikpe, and the Chief Museum Education Officer at the National Museum Lagos, Iroko Ekundayo. The statement was made available to PUNCH Online on Saturday.
According to the statement, the Dufuna Canoe was discovered in 1987 by a Fulani herdsman, Malam Ya’u, near the village of Dufuna in the Fune Local Government Area. The canoe is believed to be about 8,000 years old, making it the oldest known watercraft in Africa and the second oldest in the world.
The statement explained that radiocarbon analysis of charcoal samples found at the discovery site dated the canoe to around 6,000 BCE. The artefact measures 8.4 metres in length and 0.5 metres in height at its highest point and is currently preserved at the National Museum 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 been used by early communities along the Komadugu Gana River for fishing, transporting goods and facilitating communication between settlements. According to the curators, its design demonstrated remarkable woodworking skills and strong knowledge of river navigation.
They further noted that preserving the canoe after excavation required chemical stabilisation and carefully controlled drying processes to prevent damage, as the wood had become fragile after remaining underwater for a long time.
Speaking 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 linked to Frederick Lugard, who served as High Commissioner of the Northern Protectorate and later as Governor-General following the Amalgamation of Nigeria.
Located close to the meeting point of the Niger River and the Benue River, Lokoja functioned as an important administrative and logistics centre during British colonial rule. The bridge is believed to have been built to ease 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 serves “as a reminder of the broader colonial experience and its lasting effects on Nigeria’s political and social development.”
