The National Commission for Museums & Monuments today 18th April, 2024 joins the rest of the world to celebrate the International Day for Monuments and Sites, a global event which brings to the fore the importance of monuments and sites to national development.
The International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) declared 18th April each year as International Day for Monuments and Sites.
According to a statement by the NCMM Director-General, Olugbile Holloway, the celebration is a memorable event which offers the Commission 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 explained that it equally draws attention to the unique role of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments as it relates to the preservation of cultural and natural heritage resources of Nigeria.
The theme for this year’s celebration is Disaster and Conflict Resilient Heritage – Preparedness, Response and Recovery.
ICOMOS members and heritage professionals are encouraged to consider the evolution of conservation practices since the Venice Charter. The Venice Charter is a seminal document in the field of conservation and preservation of cultural heritage, adopted in 1964, which outlines principles and guidelines for the protection and restoration of monuments and sites of historical significance.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific & Cultural Organization, (UNESCO) works with State Parties around the world to identify and protect cultural and natural heritage that are recognized as part of the common heritage of mankind.
Currently, there are 1199 World Heritage Properties located in 168 State Parties, of which 933 are cultural, 227 are natural and 39 are mixed properties.
Nigeria has only two World Heritage Sites on the UNESCO World Heritage List (Sukur Cultural Landscape in Adamawa State and Osun Osogbo Sacred Grove in Osun State) along with 65 Declared National Monuments and 113 proposed National Monuments of different categories.
Continuing, the DG said “The National Commission for Museums and Monuments, 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 and will consistently surmount them by strengthening our partnerships with the communities that host our 2 World Heritage Sites, 65 national monuments, 113 proposed national monuments across the nation 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 realization of its set goals and objectives of preserving our national heritage for humanity and posterity”, he concluded.
