Ibom Air Marks 5th Anniversary, Unveils Plans for the Future.
Quote:
“Don’t wait for a museum to tell you who you are. Be the curator of your own culture.
Ask questions. Record stories. Save that old photo album, that handwritten letter, that broken radio that played Highlife all night.”…Dr. Raphael James,( Founder and Director General, Centre for Research Information and Media Development CRIMMD )
INTRODUCTION
In the highly engaging field of journalism, the media world provides vast and varied opportunities to encounter people of diverse professional backgrounds. From them one gets to dig deep into the wells of their wealth of knowledge and eye -opening and thought -provoking experiences. But it is only once in a blue moon that the inquisitive journalist meets with a man of a multi-disciplinary background as with the Founder and Director General of Centre for Research, Information and Media Development. CRIMMD. The highly distinguished Nigerian is not only a librarian who is a member of the Network of Books Clubs and Reading Culture Promoters in Nigeria, NBRP and a trainer of women but is also an educative and historic tourist, an erudite Publisher and Wordsmith.
Furthermore, he is the founder of the richest private Museum of Nigeria’s history,
a history-making donator of books who has donated 72, 910 books by end of December 2025 and met with seven Presidents across the globe. Details are provided here for you to read through, ingest and digest the ingredients that would definitely serve as an inspiration to each and every reader.
THE ENGAGEMENT WITH DR, RAPHAEL JAMES
So, with his proud professional pedigree it was necessary to find out his thoughts on related issues. For instance, on his vision for the museum this was his response.” To be the guardian of Nigeria’s domestic soul—preserving, celebrating, and sharing the vintage artifacts of everyday life from 1900 onward. Through authentic household objects, personal belongings, and cultural relics, we bring to life the stories of ordinary people who shaped extraordinary times. ” Our museum is more than a collection; it’s a journey into homes, kitchens, schools, and markets of the past, where every spoon, radio, wardrobe, and toy reveals a deeper truth about identity, innovation, and heritage”. We envision a future where generations connect across time, inspired by the legacy embedded in the things they once held. This is worth ruminating about.
Furthermore, it is worth knowing his views about cultural preservation and why people hardly explore museums in this regard. According to him: It’s a real shame. Most people see museums as quiet, dusty places for “old things,” not living stories. But the truth is, museums like mine aren’t just about the past, it is about identity, belonging, and who we’re becoming. He explained that: “For me it is the key, the connection. People don’t just want to look at objects behind glass, they want to feel something. Hear the crackle of a vinyl record from the ’60s, smell the wood polish on a vintage wardrobe, or hear a child’s voice say, “My grandma had that exact chair!” and that is what we do at the CRIMMD museum.
In a brilliant illumination he stated that: “For CRIMMD, the fix isn’t more visitors, it is better experiences. Storytelling, soundscapes, reenactments, school programs, even pop-up exhibits in markets or malls. Make it relatable. We put life into our alive at the CRIMMD. Museums aren’t failing, the format sometimes is. But with heart and creativity, CRIMMD is gradually becoming a cultural heartbeat.”
On his piece of advice for Gen-Z at large he beamed the bright light that: I will strongly tell them that their heritage isn’t just in textbooks or TikTok trends. It is in the hands of your grandparents, the patterns on old fabrics, the songs hummed in the kitchen, the way your grandma stirs her soup. “Heart-warming response, it really is. And he added that: “Don’t wait for a museum to tell you who you are. Be the curator of your own culture.
Ask questions. Record stories. Save that old photo album, that handwritten letter, that broken radio that played Highlife all night. You’re not just shaping the future, you’re carrying the past forward. And the coolest thing you can collect is Memory. Stay curious. Stay connected. And never think history is boring, because you’re already living the next chapter. Yes, of course. His apt response to the compelling questions are not only insightful but profound. Now is therefore, not only the time to re-think but re-work the concept and impact of what museums are on our individual, communites and country ‘s history to reshape the future for a better and more humane society,as the Museum run by the Centre for Research, Information and Media Industry has been doing.
ABOUT THE FOUNDER OF CRIMMD
Dr. Raphael James is the Founder and Director General of CRIMMD – Centre for Research, Information and Media Development. CRIMMD
He is from Abia State, married from Ogun state and lives in Lagos. Founder and Director General of CRIMMD – Centre for Research, Information and Media Development. CRIMMD is a centre that manages information; media and political research; biographical and autobiographical writings; documentations, exhibitions and script editing. A non-political, non-governmental, non-profit making but standard research developmental institution.
*As a librarian who is a member of the Network of Books Clubs and Reading Culture Promoters in Nigeria, NBRP and a trainer of women.He ran a free public library from 2004 – 2025 in Lagos, the library currently has over 60, 000 publications and it is a member of the Network of Books Clubs and Reading Culture Promoters in Nigeria NBRP. His library has played host to over 400 authors in Nigeria since its establishment.
He also ran the CRIMMD Skill Acquisition Centre for Women and he was able to train a total 18,911 women free of charge in different vocations from 2016-2025.
As an educative and historic tourist:
He is also a historic and educative tourist,
in Nigeria and he has visited 35 out of 36 states of Nigeria and documented over 610 tourist sites. He has also visited several East and West African countries doing his tours.
As an erudite Publisher and Wordsmith:
He is the Publisher of two magazines, ‘The African Dame’ and ‘The National Biographer’ magazines. He has written 61 manuscripts and published only 24 books.
As the founder of the richest private Museum of Nigeria’s history:
He is the founder of the richest private Museum of Nigeria’s history with over 49, 000 photos and many artifacts and memorabilia. The museum is a Partner with the Arab Culture and Arts Network – ACAN. His museum also partnered with the Gother Institute, Nigeria in 2023/2025 Connecting the Dot program. His museum participated in the National Festival of Arts and Culture (NAFEST) 35th edition, held in Lagos.
As a history-making donator of books who has donated 72, 910 books by end of December 2025:
He has donated 72, 910 books by end of December 2025, across the nation, since 2008 when he started his books donations to help bring back the reading culture. He also donates to orphanages and gives free motivational speeches to students.
Met with 7 world presidents:
He has had the privilege to have met with and interviewed 7 world presidents and in all, he had interactions with families of 14 African presidents/heads of state.
As a record – breaking recipient of 389 awards, including being the winner of the Global Justice World Nobel Peace Prize Award 2020 and also built the tallest Christmas book tree ever in the world standing at 12.2 feet tall, built with 5, 073 books.
He has received a total of 394 awards for his commendable works to humanity. For instance, he is the winner of the Global Justice World Nobel Peace Prize Award 2020 from India. He is listed in the Nigeria Books of Record, listed in the New Telegraph Newspaper of January 23, 2021 as Nigerian “Top Historian and Record Keeper” according to the ‘Naija7 Wonders’. He was also listed among the 5 enterprising Africans for the last quarter of 2016 by the ‘African Enterprise Magazine’; and voted “SDLG Africa’s Most Reliable Person” 2016.
He received a certificate of participation from the Lagos Studies Association as one of those that presented a paper at the conference. He also received the World first International Internship University (IIU) Africa Award for Excellence for exemplary contributions towards Education in Africa. He was a nominee of the 2022 Tällberg-SNF-Eliasson Global Leadership Prize named in honor of Jan Eliasson.
Furthermore, he received the United States of America based The Nigeria Standard Newspaper award as “Africa’s Most Outstanding History Preservation Award 2021”.
He received Appreciations / Commendations Letters, including: October 4, 2007: Lagos State Government Education District VI Appreciation letter for the Development of Education in the District; September 24, 2007: NTA 2 Channel 5 Lagos Commendation letter for encouraging reading habit in the Nigerian Society; October 2005: USA President, Bill Clinton Letter of Appreciation for assisting Katrina victims; February 2000: NYSC Abia State Secretariat Appreciation Letter for contributions at the “NYSC Millennium Festival of Theatre”; March 17, 1997: Queen Elizabeth of England Commendation Letter on General Aguiyi-Ironsi biography. His Center, (CRIMMD) built the tallest Christmas book tree in the world standing at 12.2 feet tall, built with 5, 073 books.
His Center, (CRIMMD) also discovered the designer of the Nigerian Coat of Arms, 60 years after Nigeria’s independence – Messrs Beverly Pick and Associated of 118 Charing Cross Road, United Kingdom.
As the President of ‘The Anti-Smokers’ in 1984-1989, he campaigned for the inclusion of the warning on the packets of cigarettes in Nigeria (Cigarette smoking is dangerous to your health, that was when the Hon Minister Professor Ransome Kuti nicknamed him the Anti–Smokers.
As an indepth researcher, he has unravelled so much from the amalgamation of Nigeria story, the Aba women riot, the spot where Gen Aguiyi-Ironsi and Adekunle Fajuyi were killed, the spot the Nigerian flag was first hosted, the designer of the Nigerian Coat of arms, and many others.He served as faculty Member – of the Emerging Political Leaders Fellowship for 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025. He is an Associate of the Alimosho Arts Community Initiative.
As a historian, he specializes in Nigeria’s history. As a journalist, he worked with and contributed to over 32 media houses, including two United Kingdom- based magazines and just got appointed as a columnist to a USA- based magazine.
He was featured among 40 distinguished Alumnus of his Alumni University, then Ondo State University, Ado-Ekiti (OSUA) and now Ekiti State University (EKSU) magazine to commemorate EKSU @ 40. He is listed among 100 Tourism Power List for the World Tourism Day 2023. He is among the Top 100 Tourism Personalities of Nigeria 2018.
He is among the Top 100 Social Media Influenza in Nigeria. He was a former Special Assistant (Research) at the Presidency Abuja. He was a former Media Assistant to Abia State Governor (not a political position).
He was an auxiliary member of the Think-Tank group headed by Professor Tekena Nitonye Tamuno, Chairman of the Nigeria @ 100 Committee in 2014. He is the founder of CRIMMD ARCHIVES, hosting newspapers, magazines and books dating back to 1914 on Nigeria’s history. He belongs to so many Organisations, Institutions and Associations, including: Nigeria Institute of Public Relation; Nigerian Association of Inventors; Nigeria Institute of International Affairs; Institute of Business Advisers (IBA); African Institute of Entrepreneurship; Read Nigeria Project (RNP); African Institute of Entrepreneurship Development & Management; Association of Nigerian Authors; National Patron. National Union of Campus Journalists; National Patron of the National Association of Polytechnic Students. He is a Rotarian.
He has been appointed Ambassador to seven organizations within Nigeria and he is a United Nations Peace Ambassador. Appointed Global Adviser on International Relations to the Wisdom University. Member of the Forbes BLK Community 2023, He is a fellow of the Tourism Management Institute of Nigeria.
All we can add is: ” Big kudos” to CRIMMD as we urge it to keep the beautiful flag of the industry flying higher.
Photo credit: CRIMMD,Nigeria
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