FG Expresses Displeasure Over Numbers of Nigerian Sites on World Heritage Sites

By: Michael Mike

The Federal Government has expressed worries over the few number of Nigerian Cultural heritage on World Heritage Sites.

This was echoed at the Netherlands Fund-In-Trust Supported Project to support the implementation of the World Heritage Decision to Protect Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove.

The two heritages have a recent recognition with Sukur Cultural Landscape listed on the world heritage sites in 1999, while Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove was listed in 2005.

According to the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) record, only Osun-Oshogbo Sacred Grove in Osun and Sukur Cultural Landscape in Adamawa are presently known in Nigeria.

At the occasion, the Head of Office, UNESCO Abuja Regional Office, Mr. Abdourahamane Diallo promised that he would promote the further enlistment of new sites to the World Heritage List and the continued protection and conservation of those sites in Nigeria already on the list.

Abdourahamane said among the objectives “are the further enlistment of new sites to the World Heritage List and the continued protection and conservation of those sites in Nigeria already put on the list.”

“This is also the place for me to congratulate myself on the quality of the collaboration between the Culture Team in Abuja Office and the Nigerian culture ecosystem, especially with CSOs such as TechSAH and the People and Culture Protection Initiative,” he buttressed.

In the same vein, the Minister of Arts, Culture and Tourism, Hannatu Musa Musawa said at the event that the number of heritage sites in Nigeria is quite few and unacceptable.

She said: “The fact that Nigeria only has only two sites; Sukur Landscape and Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove on world list, is too minimum to me; it is not enough for a country like Nigeria that has many expressions of culture.

“Certainly, we have to work in tandem with UNESCO to ensure that within the next couple of years, we expanded exponentially to ensure that Nigeria has a number of sites recognized on the UNESCO list. She said.

Also, Dr. Lateef Olagunju, Secretary-General, National Commission for UNESCO, Nigeria, said the event was essential because it address cultural dynamics and development in the society. He said.

“They are the priceless assets we have which connect us to the past and the future,” he said

However, the Project Lead, Technological Support for Aiding Humanity TechSAH, Mr. Chinedu Gbulie, appreciate the quality of the collaboration between the Culture Team in Abuja office and the Nigerian culture ecosystem, especially with CSOs such as TechSAH and the People and Culture Protection Initiative. He thanked UNESCO for its support in investing in the cultural sector in Nigeria.under the project. He said TechSAH visited the states to explore ways to protect and preserve the cultural heritage sites.

Chinedu said through the project, the capacity of the security agencies in the country had been improved on protecting these assets.

“We have opened their eyes to how to track and prevent moving cultural heritage outside Nigeria,” he said.

FG Expresses Displeasure Over Numbers of Nigerian Sites on World Heritage Sites