It was George Washington who said that 'to be prepared for war is one of the most effective means to preserve peace’. And it was in a bid to preserve the peace and unity of a new nation that the war ensued.
So it was an epic moment for me to relive the Nigerian civil war in this museum. It was a war that was declared as “no victor no vanquished”. A war that threatened the destiny and the existence of Nigeria. The war began in 1967, and ended in 1970. It was a thirty months fratricidal war that wasted about two million lives mostly children and women. Virtually, every family lost a loved one.
However, with the war over all the ammunition and war tanks most of them locally produced by the Biafran soldiers were recovered and brought to this museum for preservation. This is the highlight of the sophistication of the indigenous technology as all these war equipment were built within three years of the war. Hence this museum became a monument of the Nigerian civil war.
Coming inside the museum there are antique war tanks, Rocket launchers, anti aircraft guns, war ship, war planes, and torpedoes. There is also a building housing different war relics from across the world and ages. The National is also kids friendly as children can learn a lot of history from the museum. For those that have children, there is a section dedicated to the fun and enjoyments of children. There are different play sets for children.
The museum is well planned as it is wheelchair accessible. Any physically challenged person can access the entire museum with accelerated ease. It also has a park for relaxation of visitation. There is also a restaurant inside the museum for food and drinks. This museum is ideal for family and group visit. A visit to the national war museum umuahia will be a very nice treat during any holiday.
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