THE Osun Osogbo grove, inscribed in 2005 through the efforts of ex-Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola and the late Suzanne Wenger, and the Sukur Cultural Landscape in Adamawa State are currently the only two World Heritage Sites in the country.
But if the President Muhammadu Buhari administration follows through on its intention to enlist more sites, Nigeria will soon join the league of countries with several World Heritage Sites.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, disclosed the Federal Government’s plan to get more sites enlisted on Tuesday, December 17, after a tour of the Osun Osogbo Sacred Grove.
“You will agree with me that this is indeed an extraordinary site, worthy of its declaration as a world heritage site,” the Minister began while praising the Grove. “As you are aware, Nigeria has many veritable sites that meet the requirements of being declared World Heritage Sites. We are taking immediate steps to first enlist the sites on the Tentative List, after which they can be inscribed as World Heritage Sites,” he added.
The sites for consideration are the Ancient Kano City Walls, Brazilian Baracoon Museum/Point Of No Return in Badagry, and the forests in Oke-Igbo, Ile Oluji Axis of Ondo State.The Ondo forests, the Minister further explained, “was the inspiration for the late D. O. Fagunwa’s book, ‘Igbo Olodumare’”.
The other two sites are the Gashaka-Gumti National Park, Nigeria’s largest national park located in the eastern provinces of Taraba and Adamawa close to the border with Cameroon and the Ogbunike Caves in Anambra State.
He explained that Nigeria’s recent election into the UNESCO World Heritage Committee would aid the government’s quest to enlist more Nigerian sites.”The fact that the General Assembly, comprising the entire 193 states parties, last month elected Nigeria into the UNESCO World Heritage Committee is a positive development for our quest to have more sites designated as World Heritage Sites,” Mohammed said.
“And we shall use our presence on this Committee to fight for the enlistment of many more sites from Nigeria into the World Heritage list because Nigeria is blessed with a lot of potential sites,” he added.
He disclosed that he was planning a similar visit to the Sukur Cultural Landscape and warned land grabbers to steer clear of the Osun Grove.
“Let me use the opportunity of this visit to warn the land grabbers who are threatening the buffer zone around the Osun-Osogbo Grove, which is also a national monument. We will do whatever is possible within the law to keep encroachers at bay,” he said.
Living heritage
But it wasn’t only the Grove that Mohammed visited in Osogbo. The Minister also seized the opportunity to visit the home of the late Wenger at Obokun Road, and the State Governor, Gboyega Oyetola at his office in Abere.
Mohammed began by thanking Oyetola for the warm hospitality and cooperation from government officials including the Commissioner for Arts and Culture, Dr Adebisi Obawale who accompanied his team on the tour of the Grove.
He then highlighted the uniqueness of the site with an abundance of fauna and flora.”It is a living heritage site. In other words, it is not just a historical monument but an active site. It is living, and it’s not only active during the festival alone but every day. I want to commend the Osun State Government and the people of Osun for keeping that site productive and pristine. When you get to the Grove, everything you breathe there is hundred per cent oxygen. You feel that you are in another part of the world.”
The Minister added that sceptics who don’t believe and understand cultural heritage and its healing powers need only to visit the Osun Grove. “We returned more enlightened. The tour also gives us more confidence to continue to push forward and ensure the world gets more interested in our cultural heritage,” he said.
Blessed by nature
Responding, Governor Oyetola described the Minister’s visit as significant, more so as the state is trying to showcase its culture and tourism potentials.
He disclosed that this was why culture and tourism was a vital component of the recent economic summit held in the state. “We want to market culture and tourism as I realised that countries that don’t have what we have been making much from them. We are blessed, but we are not taking cognisance of art and turn it around to earn revenue for us.
“We have a lot of other sites that may not qualify for enlistment on the World Heritage Site list for now, but if you look at their natural state, you will be amazed. Nature has been generous to us, but they remain there unless they are developed. That is why what we are trying to do; ask people to invest in culture and tourism. It’s not only brick and mortar that brings money.”