Art Exhibition Management and Curatorial Practice in Nigerian Public Galleries

Curatorial practice in Nigerian public galleries has undergone significant transformation as institutions seek to balance heritage preservation mandates with contemporary art programming and public engagement objectives. This study examines exhibition management and curatorial practice in selected public galleries including the National Gallery of Art in Abuja, the Didi Museum in Lagos, and the Goethe-Institut art space, drawing on primary data from structured interviews with 18 curators, exhibition managers, and gallery directors. The study evaluates exhibition planning processes, acquisition policies, audience development strategies, interpretive text quality, and the logistical challenges of mounting exhibitions within Nigeria's public funding constraints. Supplementary data are drawn from exhibition documentation, visitor feedback forms, and programme records. The theoretical framework draws on new museology, curatorial studies literature, and the cultural policy scholarship that has examined the underfunding of arts institutions across sub-Saharan Africa. The study examines whether Nigerian public galleries are adopting community-engaged and participatory curatorial models that have become mainstream in international gallery practice, or whether resource constraints confine them to conventional exhibition formats. The recent proliferation of private galleries in Lagos and Abuja as competitors for art market engagement is examined as a context for public gallery strategy. Findings are expected to inform the National Council for Arts and Culture, gallery directors, and arts administrators on improving curatorial capacity and audience reach in Nigeria's public gallery sector. Keywords: curatorship, exhibition management, public gallery, Nigeria, arts administration