The Federal Government of Nigeria, through Decree 77 of 1979, established the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM) as a replacement to the Federal Antiquities Department.

The NCMM was established to manage the collection, documentation, conservation and presentation of Nigeria’s National Cultural properties to the public for the purposes of Education, Enlightenment and Entertainment. This Decree has now been re-enacted as NCMM Act, cap N19, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

The National Commission for Museums and Monuments with its headquarters in Abuja, manages Fifty-three (53) Museums spread across the country. There are also two UNESCO World Heritage Sites namely, Sukur Cultural Landscape in Adamawa state and Osun Osogbo Sacred Grove in Osun state. The NCMM also has the Museum of Traditional Nigerian Architecture (MOTNA); a Zoological Garden and the Centre for Earth Construction Technology (CECTECH) as well as the Institute of Archaeology and Museum Studies all in Jos, for capacity building of different categories of its staff and others outside the Commission.