Activities >> Sites

Togo: Management of Koutammakou

Background

The Togolese Government, keen to put into practice the 1972 convention related to the conservation of immovable heritage has always given very serious follow-up to every meeting that was organised by the World Heritage Centre within the “Global Strategy”. After having prepared a tentative list, The Direction du ¨Patrimoine et des Musées started to prepare nomination files for several sites. This was done in 2002 with assistance provided by WHFund within the framework of Africa 2009. The work was successfully completed resulting in the site being inscribed on the WH List in July 2004. The Management Plan for the site suggests numerous innovations which can be of very serious interest for other sites, however with the need to first experiment before disseminating the new ideas developed, reason why the Steering Committee of Africa 2009 actually decided to provide funding so as to ensure the implementation of the management plan.

Objectives

The objectives of this projet situé are (1) to rehabilitate a building provided by the community at Nadoba to establish the premises of the “Service de conservation et de promotion du Koutammakou”; (2) to acquire office equipment and delivered means of transport for site inspection (3) to start the first activities foreseen, mainly the inventory work and Bone festival.

Structure

The project is to be implemented by the “Direction des Musées, Sites et Monuments”. Assistance is provided when felt necessary by CRATerre-EAG, but without any implication for the implementation on the field. The project is to be implemented in a gradual process, one objective after the other.

Results in 2004

• The premises of the “Service de conservation et de promotion du Koutammakou” are now established.
• An additional small structure has been constructed on the main access road to the site, near Kanté,so that an entry fee can be collected to visit the site.
• In parallel, the Minister of Culture has finalised all requiremenst interms of legal framework for the establishment of the “Service”, and a curator for the site has been employed.
• The curator of the site is M. Bitanga, a former participant to the regional course organised in Porto Novo in 2002.
• The project is very important to the institution which encounters severe difficulties to get funding from the national budget. It keeps hope within the members of the Africa 2009 network.
• The project reinforces the possible role of the national NGO, “Les Amis du Patrimoine”.
  

Members of Africa 2009 network involved

Kadanga Kodjona, Directeur Général de la Culture, (PS) Nayondjoua Djanguenane, Directeur des Musées, Sites et Monuments, (DS) Lucie Tidjougouna, archéologue, Monuments (RC, TS) Samna Bitanga, Curator of the site (RC,TC) Kossi Wowui, Ministère du Tourisme Chairman, « Les amis du patrimoine » , (PS, RP), Gaël Kpotogbe Amoussou, Architect (PS).