Nigeria draws global attention to Osun Osogbo Sacred Groove as World Heritage Site

Nigeria, through the Hon. Minister of Information and Culture,
Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has started intensification of global
attention to the Osun Osogbo Sacred Grove as a World
Heritage Site while pushing for UNESCO’s enlistment of similar
other sites in Nigeria. This was started on Tuesday 17
December 2019, when the minister made a tour of the Sacred
Grove, accompanied by the media and officials of the state
arts, culture and tourism ministries.
Addressing the media after touring the grove, the minister
said: “We have just concluded a tour of the Osun-Osogbo
Sacred Grove, one of Nigeria’s two world heritage sites. The
other is the Sukur Cultural Landscape in Adamawa State. You
will agree with me that this is indeed an extraordinary site,
worthy of its declaration as a world heritage site.”
The minister and his entourage also visited the Governor of
Osun State, Alhaji Adegboyega Oyetola, in his office. In his
brief speech, the governor re-affirmed the huge potentials
tourism, driven mainly by arts, culture and sites such as Osun
Osogbo Sacred Grove, has for a country’s economy.
The minister said the purpose of the visit was to renew
national and global attention on Osun Osogbo Grove, and to
formally announce Nigeria’s plan to pursue the enlistment of
more sites as world heritage sites by UNESCO. “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.”
The minster listed few of the sites whose enlistments are
being sought. They include the ancient Kano City Walls; The
Brazilian Baracoon Museum/Point of No Return in Badagry,
Lagos State, where slaves departed Nigeria to the Americas;
The forests in Oke-Igbo, Ile Oluji Axis of Ondo State, which
was the inspiration for D. O. Fagunwa’s book, ‘Igbo
Olodumare’; 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, for its natural
significance.
The list, said Lai Mohammed, is endless. He revealed that last
month, the ministry successfully obtained court order
restraining persons encroaching on the Kano City Walls and
Associated Sites.
“A World Heritage Site,” said the minister, “is a landmark or
area which is selected by the UNESCO as having cultural,
historical, scientific or other form of significance, and is
legally protected by international treaties. Such sites are
judged important to the collective interests of humanity. They
are considered to be of ‘Outstanding Universal Value’.
“The World Heritage Site list is maintained by the international
World Heritage Programme administered by the UNESCO
World Heritage Committee, composed of 21 “states parties”.
“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.
And we shall use our presence on this committee to fight for
enlistment of many more sites from Nigeria into the World
Heritage list, because Nigeria is really blessed with a lot of
potential sites.
“In the meantime, we are planning a similar visit to the Sukur
Cultural Landscape. Fortunately for us, our gallant men and
women in uniform have succeeded in repelling the attempt by
the Boko Haram terrorists to destroy the Sukur Cultural
Landscape.
“Now that we are here, 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.
The minister thanked the Government of Osun State for all it is
has done and is still doing to maintain the World Heritage Site.
“As you can see, the access road to the grove is well tarred
and the environment is kept clean and safe. Thank you also to
our guide today and to all those who are working here.”