Evaluation of Exhibition Space Design in Selected Museums in South-Western Nigeria

Museums play a vital role in preserving cultural heritage, interpreting collective memory, and creating spaces where knowledge is experienced rather than merely observed. In well-designed exhibition spaces, artifacts are not only protected but also given meaning through spatial organization, interpretive media, and the overall quality of the visitor environment. When these elements are poorly conceived, museums can become difficult to navigate, less engaging, and less effective in communicating cultural narratives. The experience of a museum therefore depends not just on what is displayed, but on how the exhibition space itself is designed to support learning, comfort, and cultural connection. Therefore, this study evaluates exhibition space design in selected museums in South-Western Nigeria with the aim of developing design and improving on visitor perception, interpretive media, visitor intention and recommendation intentions within museum exhibition environments. A mixed-method research approach involving case studies, observation, and questionnaire surveys was adopted. Data were collected from 350 respondents across selected museums namely National Museum, Lagos, National Museum of Unity, Ibadan, Yemisi Shyllon Museum of Art, John Randle Centre for Yoruba Culture and History, and National Museum, Akure, and the data collected were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings reveal that while museums generally perform well in narrative clarity and interpretive communication, significant deficiencies exist in circulation planning, accessibility, seating provision, interactive technologies, and multilingual interpretation. Visitor satisfaction was also found to be significantly influential in recommendation and revisit intentions. The study concludes that museum exhibition environments in Nigeria require more visitor-centered, culturally responsive, and technologically adaptive design strategies.