World Heritage Day: Commission solicits support for preservation of heritage resources
Mr. Olugbile Holloway, Director-General of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM), has called for support from Nigerians in the preservation of the nation’s cultural and natural heritage resources.
He made the call in his goodwill message as Nigeria joins the rest of the world in commemorating the 2024 International Day for Monuments and Sites, also known as World Heritage Day.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) declared April 18 each year as International Day for Monuments and Sites.
It is a global event that emphasises the importance of monuments and sites to national development, and the theme for this year’s celebration is “Disaster and Conflict Resilient Heritage: Preparedness, Response, and Recovery.”
According to the DG, the day offers a great opportunity to thank the communities and other stakeholders for their continuous support for the conservation and preservation of monuments and sites all over the world.
He therefore called on Nigerians, especially host communities, security agencies, and culture enthusiasts, to support the NCMM’s conservation and preservation of heritage sites and monuments across the country.
“The National Commission for Museums and Monuments today, April 18, 2024, joins the rest of the world to celebrate the International Day for Monuments and Sites.
“It equally draws attention to the unique role of the commission as it relates to the preservation of cultural and natural heritage resources in our nation, Nigeria.
“The National Commission for Museums and Monuments, as the government agency charged by statute to conserve and manage Nigeria’s rich array of national monuments and sites, will continue to remain undaunted by challenges before it.
“It will consistently surmount them by strengthening our partnerships with the communities that host our two World Heritage Sites, 65 national monuments, and 113 proposed national monuments across the nation.
“This will be done alongside various critical stakeholders such as traditional institutions, academia, security agencies, non-governmental organizations, corporate bodies, philanthropists, culture enthusiasts, and sister government agencies in this journey.
“The Commission therefore craves the support of governments at all levels, communities, and other stakeholders for the realisation of its set goals and objectives of preserving our national heritage for humanity and posterity.
NAN reports that Nigeria has only two World Heritage Sites on the UNESCO World Heritage List, which include Sukur Cultural Landscape in Adamawa State and Osun Osogbo Sacred Grove in Osun State.
Currently, there are 1199 World Heritage Properties located in 168 State Parties across the globe, of which 933 are cultural, 227 are natural, and 39 are mixed properties.(NAN)
