Activities >> Sites

Nigeria: Osun-Osogbo Shrine

Background

The National Commission for Museums and Monuments of Nigeria has a strong interest in implementation of the World Heritage Convention. The NCMM has given serious follow-up to all meetings organized by the World Heritage Centre within its Global Strategy. After having prepared a tentative list, NCMM successfully inscribed Sukur Cultural Landscape as its first site on the World Heritage List. Subsequently two new nominations were submitted, but returned by the World Heritage Centre for additional work. The NCMM then approached the AFRICA 2009 programme for help with elaborating the nomination files for these two sites, the first of which is the Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove.

Objectives

The objectives of this Projet Situé were to:

• prepare a nomination dossier for inscription of the site on the World Heritage List;
• prepare a management plan for the management and conservation of the site;
• provide training to Nigerian nationals involved in the process of preparing the necessary documents.
  

Structure

The project was to be implemented by NCMM with the assistance of CRATerre-EAG. A strong collaborative working relationship has been established benefiting from a number of opportunities to meet within other AFRICA 2009 activities. Work was undertaken on the base of the existing first draft nomination form. Gaps were identified and work was started by the group of national experts, working under the director for Monuments and Sites of NCMM. This group included former participants of AFRICA 2009 courses, and experts with whom CRATerre-EAG had already collaborated in the past. A mission was organized in early January 2004 to complete necessary surveys and assessments. Meetings were also held with stakeholders. The overall nomination file was completed through a number of exchanges using email communication. A small follow-up will be carried out in 2004 to make the management plan operational and ensure stakeholder participation.

Results in 2004

• The nomination dossier for inscription on the World Heritage List was completed and submitted to the World Heritage Centre before the deadline of 1 February 2004.
• Nigerian professionals who had already participated in AFRICA 2009 activities have been able to put their knowledge into practice.
• About 100 persons have been involved in the elaboration of the management plan for the site, including major decision makers (state government), traditional rulers, priestesses and priests, artists.
• Large media campaign, including TV coverage, to create awareness about the site.
• The local and state authorities have been involved and have provided great assistance, including the means to acquire satellite imaging and a helicopter flight for aerial photographs. . The preparatory assistance missions carried out were also the opportunity to visit and discuss the possibility to nominate the earthworks of south Nigeria and a set of recommendations to prepare that have been elaborated. . This project was the first time for Africa 2009 to address the specific case of an associated landscape within the Projets situés. That was quite a useful reference for undertaking management planning work on the “forêt Kpassé” during the regional course.
  

Members of Africa 2009 network involved

Dr. (Chief) Omotoso (D) Dr. Joseph Eboreime (TS) Victoria Osuagwu (RC, RP) Dipo Alafiatayo (TC).