By John Ikani
The National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM) has raised the alarm that Nigeria’s two heritage sites are facing severe threats from erosion and illegal excavation activities.
The two locations, the Sukur Cultural Landscape in Adamawa State and Osun Oshogbo Grove in Osun State, are the only monuments in Nigeria inscribed as United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) world heritage sites in 1999 and 2005, respectively.
NCMM’s Director-General, Professor Abba Isa Tijani, disclosed that illegal mining and encroachment around the Osun Oshogbo Grove have exacerbated erosion in the region, polluting the revered lake believed to have spiritual healing powers.
Speaking during a courtesy visit to the Ecological Project Office (EPO), the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Professor Tijani said that the commission had sought EPO’s support to urgently remediate the heritage sites and other national monuments across the country.
Professor Tijani expressed his concern that the commission had found it challenging to manage some museums and monuments due to encroachment and infringement.
The EPO Permanent Secretary, Mallam Shehu Ibrahim, commended NCMM for its unwavering commitment to preserving the heritage sites and retrieving Nigeria’s artefacts carted away to foreign lands.
He also assured his guest that EPO would continue to collaborate with relevant agencies to address ecological problems in the country.
It is noteworthy that Nigeria, aside from the two world heritage sites, currently has 65 national monuments and has begun the process of declaring 101 historical sites as national monuments.
The preservation of these sites is critical to the nation’s cultural heritage and tourism industry, and urgent steps must be taken to safeguard them from further damage.
