PARTICIPATORY APPROACH TO ARCHAEOLOGICAL HERITAGE MANAGEMENT OKE-IDANRE CULTURAL LANDSCAPE – A CASE STUDY.

PARTICIPATORY APPROACH TO ARCHAEOLOGICAL HERITAGE MANAGEMENT

OKE-IDANRE CULTURAL LANDSCAPE – A CASE STUDY.

By

Charles O. Akinde PhD.

Cultural and Natural Heritage Foundation, Nigeria.

Paper presented at the ICOMOS-ICAHM 2018 Annual Meeting:Discover Sicily´s Argimusco – a Holistic Approach to Heritage Management 25–28 October 2018, Montalbano Elicona, Province of Messina, Sicily, Italy.

PARTICIPATORY APPROACH TO ARCHAEOLOGICAL HERITAGE MANAGEMENT

OKE-IDANRE CULTURAL LANDSCAPE – A CASE STUDY.

Paper presented at the ICOMOS-ICAHM 2018 Annual Meeting: Discover Sicily´s Argimusco – a Holistic Approach to Heritage Management 25 – 28 October 2018, Montalbano Elicona, Province of Messina, Sicily, Italy.

By

Charles O. Akinde PhD.

Cultural and Natural Heritage Foundation, Nigeria.*

Description – geographical data.

1. Oke-Idanre Cultural landscape is located in Idanre Local Government Area of Ondo State Nigeria, it is about 24 kilometres southwest of Akure, Ondo State capital, The landscape falls on a latitude 9°8′N of the equator and Longitude 5°5′E of the Greenwich meridian with a terrain that stands at a height of 286 – 500m. Idanre Hills as it was called before it was rechristened a cultural landscapek in 2007, consists of high plains with spectacular valleys interspersed with inselbergs of about 3100 feet (995 meters) above sea level at the highest point, which is the highest in Western part of Nigeria with a rich history behind it.

2. Idanre town has a rich natural and cultural heritage; its elevated landscape harbours a unique biodiversity. The traditions and customs of its people, who historically lived uphill “Oke-Idanre” for about a millennium, are unique amongst the Yoruba nation of Nigeria. Because of its unique cultural attributes, the Nigerian Nobel Prize laureate, Wole Soyinka immotalized it in his book, Idanre and Other Poems in 1957.(1) The historic town of Oke Idanre which now forms the archaeological site is the subject of this paper.

3. The inhabitants of the hilltop town started to relocated to the base of the hills on the 14th day of October 1928. The second batch left the hill town in 1933. The people relocated because of the need to have access to modernization. The town can as well be described as the remainder of the last abandoned mountain towns in Nigeria. It has been described as one of the most awesome and beautiful natural landscapes in Nigeria. The remains of the relics of the old Idanre town are largely left in ruins, these become a prominent tourist destination in Nigeria. It was added to UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List on October 8th 2007, The nominated property (Oke-Idanre Cultural Landscape) covers an area of 637.7 ha, with a buffer zone estimated at 2,052.ha. Nigerian Government declared the landscape as a National Monument in 2014 but gazetted in 2018 as one of the sites to be so declared to mark the centenarian celebration of the amalgamation of Nigeria.

Observed Natural endowment of Idanre Hills.

4. There had been several isolated or thematic scientific studies carried out in the district both recently and in the past by scholars from around the world; one of such earlier researches was the one carried out in 1963 by Professor Arne Schiøtz, a scholar from Denmark sponsored by Carlsberg Foundation of Denmark. The Professor remarked in one of his reports that he discovered a variety of Bufo Peretti (a kind of amphibian) in Idanre, which is endemic on Idanre Hills and have not been found in any other part of the world. Other species of amphibians were also found on Idanre hills. (2) These amphibians were redicovered after 40 years by Abiodun Onadeko, Mark Oliver, Christoph Lietke and Michael Barej as reported in 2014. (3)

5. There are other discoveries of near extinct animal species and mammals on Idanre Hills such as bats (order Chiropteran) colonies which would be found in large numbers in Idanre caves. These bats had historically been the subject of cultural and quasi-religious interest. For instance Idanre is the only community in Yorubaland that celebrates bats annually as a festival (called Use festival) usually in February; it is also linked to the major annual Orosun festival in May. These had been subject of study by scholars interested in ecotourism. Studies such as that of Richards (1957), Zbigniew Dmochovski (1960) D.J. Hambler (1961) and Michael B. Gleave (1963),(4) are all indications of the interest of scholars at home and internationally in the natural endowments of Idanre Hills.

6. Nigerian Field Society, an academic organization based at the University of Ibadan Nigeria, had special interest in Flora and Fauna of Idanre land. They had published many scholarly articles on the area many years back especially in their journal The Field. Organizations, like National Geographic, and even IUCN (International Union on Conservation of Nature) had sponsored naturalists to study the natural endowment of the district. The latter even catalogued some species of plants and animals that are on danger list of extinction. IUCN was one of the evaluators of the landscape when it was being prepared for world heritage listing in 2007; it says that ”…due to the remoteness of the site, some of the industrial wood trees that are endangered and almost extinct in the rain forest of Nigeria can still be found in this area and about 50% of the trees have medicinal value and are widely used by the Idanre community.”(5)

7. Between the 14th and 17th of June and 19th and 22nd of November 2007 a joint team of all departments (Archaeology/Anthropology, Botany, Entomology, Geology, Paleontology and Zoology) in the Natural History Museum of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria (NHM-OAU) were at the ancient town to conduct an inventory in order to describe the faunal, floral and cultural diversity within the area. Their result was published as An Inventory of the Geological, Biological and Cultural Resources on Ufe-Oke Hill, Idanre, South Western Nigeria: (6)

8. In preparation for the dossier for World heritage listing, a baseline data of the natural endowment of Idanre Hills, these included, the flora, fauna, climate and geology of the Hills in 2007, were collected by a team of scientists and naturalists, from the Department of Ecotourism at the Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA), at the request of the Ondo State government and the Government of Nigeria, through its agency the NCMM, (National Commission for Museums and Monuments). (7)

9. One of the many science oriented visitors to the landscape observed that there are all kinds of unique species of plants that are not so common elsewhere. He said inter alia that Idanre Hills (Oke Idanre Cultural Landscape) ”have a lot to offer in knowledge, health, physical fitness, recreation, history, fun and rejuvenation in body, soul and spirit. Get to Idanre Hills you will appreciate the unfathomable work of creation.” (8)

Archaeological, Scientific and Cultural Importance

The Colonial Period

10. Oke-Idanre (Idanre Hills), was first recognized as important culturally and naturally, by the Colonial Governor of Lagos, Sir Gilbert Thomas Carter, GCMG, GCVO, who incidentally was the first European to visit Idanre. He visited the hill top town from August 31 to September 8, 1894. He described the site as “luxuriant environment with mountains in their eminences…burrowing their heads like hippopotamus through the forest” He said further that “ I have noticed many plants and ferns which I have not observed in Yoruba country,” he predicted that, “the district would I am sure be a veritable paradise for the botanist, or naturalist, and I deeply regret the impossibility of spending weeks instead of days in this particularly interesting neighborhood.”(9)

11. The German explorer and archaeologist, Leo Viktor Frobenius,(10) who made over 12 expeditions to Africa between 1904 and 1935 and travelled to Nigeria between 1910 and 1912 especially in West Nigeria and discovered ”Ori Olokun”, one of the most sherished works of art in modern history did not visit Idanre; although Ile Ife where the ”Ori Olokun” was discovered is only about 50 kilometres away from Idanre. Ile Ife has important historical linkages with Idanre so much so that the natives called Idanre traditionally as Ufe Oke that is, ”Ife on the hills”. Some of the figurings and artefacts discovered in Ile Ife by Frobenius are similar to those in the custody of Idanre traditionalists like Lobu and the Owa, (King of Idanre) and others. (11)

12. The fact that Leo Frobenius and his associates did not visit Idanre during his expeditions to Ile Ife is understandable; it was because of the difficult terrain on reaching the site at that point in history; Ile Ife is on the lowland while Oke Idanre is up the hills. To get to the top the inhabitants had to climb through a rope (Arokunso); therefore Oke Idanre at that time was totally inaccessible to unwanted visitors. Sir Gilbert Thomas Carter beautifully described his experience of the encounter thus: –

”I commenced on the 31 August 1894, such a climb as I never experienced before. The trying part is not so much its length as its angle of elevation and the particular methods which have to be adopted to get up at all. The first part is fairly easy, the natives having made rude steps of stones, then an enormous boulder is encountered at startling abrupt angle, which unhappily is the only means of access to the town – this boulder is about 30 feet (9.144meters) in height, and fixed to the top of it securely to a not very safe looking tree trump, is a long strand of native cane which one has to hold and pull oneself up to a rock…after having conquered the boulder…(there) is a rock of about 150 feet (45.72 meters) in height and lying at an impossible angle but for the ingenuity of the natives who had created a rude wooden staircase up it.

”I left this beautiful region with much regret on the 6th September 1894 at 3.30 pm. Having once more survived the staircase and the rope boulders, of the two I prefered going up to coming down, the latter is more trying. I may here mention that the feat would be impossible with leather-soled shoes, but with the help of rubber soles or possibly bare feet and some agility the difficulty is not insurmountable. A thought did occur to me just as I neared the top of this boulder as to what will happen if anything gave way but fortunately, I was spared of this calamity. Etc. etc (12) It was then he signed a treaty of allegiance between the Owa (King) of Idanre and the Queen of England.

13. It is therefore understandable why no visitors without a clear mission could attempt to visit there in the earlier times. Today for tourists to get to the top of the hills, they need to climb 660 steps with five resting points along the steps. These steps were contructed in 1956 to make climbing to the top easy; afterall the Owa, Arubiefin III, (King or Traditional ruler) of Idanre still lived there until his death in 1969. The only written acounnt of the description and sketches of Oke-Idanre in 19th century was the one collected in the Carter’s hand written dispatches to the colonial office in England; later in 1934, 50 years after Sir Carter’s visit, a publication, the Intelligence report on Idanre district (13) was issued by the colonial administration in Nigeria.

Arts and Archaeological Attractions at Oke-Idanre

14. Some of the artifacts in the pocession of the Owa include the so-called oldest crown in Yorubaland and many others; these were brought to Idanre by Olofin (Aremitan) from Ile-Ife; Idanre people have a special version of Oranmiyan’s travels through Idanre to Ado Benin. Chief J.U. Egharevba, in his The history of Benin,(14) first edition made allusion to this fact on page 11. The history of Idanre and Ado Benin is so linked that Idanre people claimed the motherhood of one of the Benin Obas to Idanre throne.(15) Willam Buller Fagg (1959) describing the Houseposts found at Oke Idanre said that ”the …posts seemed to have most in commom with the monummental styles of the Ishan and other Edo-speaking groups to the North of Benin. …But there is a problem for traditional historians most probably involving relations between Benin and Idanre in the eighteeth and nineteenth century.”

15. The tourist attractions at the top of the hills include both man-made (cultural/physical) for instance the old palace, which covers an area of 500 square meters was built in the 17th century (plate 1); relics and dilapidated chalets which once served as accommodation to the colonial masters; other buildings of importance; the natural features – the flora and fauna etc. William Buller Fagg said that ”by 1959 when I visited it, it had been virtually abandoned in favour of New Idanre on the plain below.” One decade after independence of Nigeria in 1960, the place became totally an abandoned settlement.

16. The movement to the new settlement down the hills was accompanied by the removal of iron sheets used to cover the mud buildings first by the owners, and mostly by thieves and treasure looters. The situation was exacerbated by the struggle to select and install a new Oba, who would be a successor to the dead King. This is referred to as ”Obaship tussle”, and it lasted for about 8 years, until 1976 when the new Oba was installed; the damage had been done because most of the important relics and artifacts were stollen and sold out during that period. Some of these are today found in museums and art collections all over the world and in private collections.(16).

What constitutes an archaeological interest in the landscape is not just the physical features, but also the cultural. The history behind the settlement and even the scarification on the discovered figures and carved veranda posts; the facial marks of the inhabitants are also in thenselves of archaeological interest.

The Situation after Independence and UNESCO’s Tentative List.

17. Oke-Idanre was recognized as an important tourist destination in Ondo State and Nigeria, mostly because of its special geographical position.(17). However, like many other important tourism spots in the country, no serious effort was made to develop the site until 2006. The interest in the Landscape was initially to develop it as one of the tourism destinations in Ondo State and Nigeria. It received a most favourable mention in the Nigerian Tourism Master Plan,(18) which was published by the (UNWTO United Nations World Tourism Organisation) assisted document for The Federal Republic of Nigeria. It was in the process of inspection for this that it occurred to the Ondo State Government, the NTDC (Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation) and NCMM, (National Commission for Museums and Monuments), that the site would be suitable to be submitted to UNESCO as a possible World Heritage Site.

18. The Dossier on the Landscape was accepted by UNESCO World Heritage Centre on the 8 October 2007 under criteria ii, iii, and v, and later on 29 January 2010 was changed to criteria iii, and v, and vi of the Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention.(19) Even with all these suggested criteria, it did not stand the test of being inscribed on the UNESCO’s world heritage list. It is not because it lacks the basic requirements for inscription, but mostly because of its management shortcomings. It is generally agreed even by UNESCO evaluator that Oke-Idanre Cultural Landscape contains important archaeological features that are unigue; that it testifies to the past human activity and of Yoruba history and civilization; and that it remains to the present, a reality in the daily lives of the (Idanre) communities for spiritual and cultural rejuvenation.(20)

19 In spite of all the relics, artifacts and historic buildings on the hills which made the landscape unique among other sites in Nigeria, there had been no comprehensive, inclusive and sustained archaeological excavation done. Perhaps the government did not see any need for such until recently when it was decided that it should be proposed for World Heritage listing. Even in those areas such as Ile Ife where valuable discoveries were made, the foreign archaeologists like Bernard Evelyn Buller Fagg, and his associates did them. Bernard E. B. Fagg was the pioneer archaeologist who founded the first National museum in Nigeria in 1952. Of course there were many scientists, archaeologists included, in Nigeria and elsewhere who found the importance of research on the landscape; the major constraints which constantly come to the fore is the funding sources, which also prevents the sustainable management of the site until today.21)

20.Because of the preparation of the site for World Heritage Listing, some restorations and renovations were attempted. But experts said that the renovations pose a great threat to the recovery of archaeological evidences in some mounds that had been selected earlier for excavation. They warned that, “if the current renovation of ancient buildings on this hill continues without carrying out serious archaeological work, it will lead to the loss of vital archeological materials that contain useful information about the past activities of the people of Idanre,”(22) and by extension of Yoruba tribal group of Nigeria. It is therefore urgent today to carry out more serious archaeological work in the landscape to proof the age of the relics found on the site by carbon dating or other scientific means; doing this would put the oral history of the site in proper scientific perspective. The suggested archaeological work will require collaborative work of both national and foreign experts; it will require funding which the governments alone can hardly provide alone.

Oke-Idanre Cultural Landscape as An Archaeological Site.

21. Oke-Idanre Cultural Landscape cannot be properly understood without its archaeological and geophysical attributes. There had been no systematic scientific cultural study of archaological significance undertaken on the landscape until recently. The first attempt at excavation made by indigenous archaeologists was made by archaeologists from the NCMM in 2011; the result has not been published, even if it does, it did not go far enough to establish the site as an on-going archaeological site. Another attempt at archaeological exploration was made by a group of scientists from Natural History Museum of the OAU (Obafemi Awolowo University), Ile Ife, in 2008 and 2010. All these together form the scientific base-line data for further studies on the Site and elsewhere in Idanre for the purpose of historical record.23)

22. It is owning to these recent attempts that one can call Oke-Idanre Cultural Landscape an archaeological Site. However, some experts say if excavations are allowed to continue hapharzadly, without thorough mapping and planning, it will ”decontexualise the site by representing it ex-situ” because it will tamper with the authenticity and originality of the site.(24) Interests of the archaeologists and scientists are growing daily on the landscape; many of these studies in recent times had been published in academic journals and theses in the higher education institutions in Nigeria and elsewhere.

23. Of great archaeological interest is the need to sample and test through carbon dating and other scientific means, the original ”Oduduwa Crown” in Idanre which was believed to be the oldest in Yorubaland. Th crown was brought to Idanre by Olofin Aremitan, the founder of Ufe Oke or leader of Idanre people. ”Of all the crowns of Yorubaland,” said Professor Fagg, ”none is older than this”.

Describing his travels to Idanre Fagg reported that the Owa (King) received him in the old palace ”to show me the historic crown of Oduduwa Ade Oduduwa,which is probably at least as early as 1800, and most certainly the oldest in Yorubaland.” Fagg’s description was quoted in extenso by Roland Abiodun :

”Looking at the purported ”crown of Oduduwa” from Idanre in Ondo Stae of Nigeria, we are immediately struck by its similarity to another crown from Ilesha in Oyo State, worn by women as recently as ten years ago. The Idanre crown, though old and simple in appearance, is essentially complete. It is roughly conical in shape and has all the important attachments which aid its identification as truly authentic symbol of devine authority among the Yoruba. It has an amorphous and untidy appearance, but may include some coral… It also includes a rather miscellaneous assortment of beads… It (the crown) is not very much like the Benin coral and camelian crowns, but does look like the ancestor of the falling curtains of seed beads on the crowns of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The crown from Ilesha is called ade aforisokun and it is worm by the most senior priestess of Owari, Owari, the third or fourth Owa ruler of Ijeshaland (25) To estalish the authenticity of the claims made in oral narratives by local griots and historians, it may be necessary to make comparison for example, with such findings of similar ade, at Ilesha and probably in other places too; see plate II, and by comparison the Idanre crown worn by the Owa of Idanre during a Iden festival, in plate III.

24. What else to be done at Oke-Idanre is proper identification and demarcation of the various shrines of historical importance on the hilltop. So far only the ancient palace is known and a few other spots along the path to the old palace, e.g. the old court house, the Owa’s mausoleum all within the same area. This gives the impression that the landscape is confined only to the limited area of Odeja and Ujomo axis of the landscape. An expert had in fact noted that ”Although Oke-Idanre appears to be the only fortified Yoruba town, what remains of the town is a shadow of its former layout and only the memory of much of it now remains.” what needs to be done therefore as matter of urgency, is to ”make a complete architectural-cum-archaeological plan of the palace and a spatial survey of the town quarters mapping the positions of each structure and tracing walls in order to gain understanding of how the town was as a social entity before its abandonment in 1928.”(26) This is admitedly not an easy work, but it can be done with determination and political will; more than anything else it needs collaborative work with the cooperation of international organisations and experts.

The Management needs of the Site

25. The question of management arose only after the site was placed on the UNESCO’s tentative World Heritage list in 2007. Before then, after the abandonment, some of the areas were still being preserved by imposing religious and cultural taboos; people will not tamper with many of them for the fear of hurting their gods which they believe, could have dare consiquences on the offenders, therefore inhabitants respected those spots; this is an indegenous method of preservation. Now that the place has been exposed as just a cultural landscape and free for all area, without proper management control mechanism put in place, materials of archaeological and historical value will be lost due to digging for sowing seeds and other farming activities; especially farmers planting cash crops such as cocoa, which tends to covert the place to a permanent cocoa plantation thereby destroying the cultural and historical features and for that reason, lessen the attributed importance of the site as a cultural landscape. Adeleye and Folarin observed that, The arun river which is the only stream that runs through the landscape is formally botanically very diverse but it now suffers from deforestation due to increasing lumbering activities.”(27) There is need to provide signages and directional signposts to identify the left-off quarters on the landscape and the identified shrines. All these activities are the responsibilities of the management of the site.

26. An elaborate management plan was prepared in 2007, using SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats.) analysis method, completely with assigned time frame and outlined the responsibilities of all stakeholders(28) perhaps because of the change of government, the entire programme was stopped; for over 8 years almost nothing was done about it in line with the provision in the document particularly as regards to the participation of other major stakeholders.

No doubt today that a proper management plan, which will involve the participation of all stakeholders, interested organisations and private sector, is needed otherwise the landscape will be damaged beyond recognition within the next few years, by the activities of visitors and treasure looters. When the site is emptied of its cherished structures, which are the main attractions there, there would be nothing left than a decline of its tourism values; which will be of benefit to neither the government nor the host community.

27. Gladly today, The Ondo State government and the NCMM (the Federal Government Agency that is responsible for protecting cultural heritage of the country) are working hard to put a sustainable management plan in place. They have constituted a committee called “Conservation Management Committee for Oke-Idanre Cultural Landscape,” to facilitate the compilation of new documentation data and eventual preparation of good and sustainable conservation management plan for Oke-Idanre Cultural Landscape. For these new assignments, professionals and volunteers both national and foreign are desperately needed.

Networking Activities

28. In discussing the issue of preservation of cultural sites, the work of volunteers and other networking programmes should be considered. As soon as Oke-Idanre Cultural Landscape was exposed to the public, the CCIVS (Coordinating Committee for International Voluntary Service) or World Heritage Volunteers together with VWAN (Voluntary Work Camp Association of Nigeria), comprising men and women from all over the continents, (Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas) and Cultural and Natural Heritage Foundation in Idanre, worked on Oke-Idanre about three times between 2010 and 2014 for beautification and other specified conservation activities; this was done to help raise the awareness of the community especially the youth, on the importance of the site as a cultural heritage that must be preserved; the activities involved, apart from the work done, dancing round the town with the youth in a carnival-like way. The volunteers stayed for about two weeks each time, the report from the participants showed that the activities were mutually enriching for the visiting volunteers and the host organisations, such networking activities are needed in future. A hand written testimony and experience of one of the visitors from USA is here attached. (Plate IV).

The Probems and recommended solutions.

Some of the problems affecting the Landscape as listed in the Nomination Dossier of 2009 (pp.32 -33) included, a. Environmental pressures, (pollution and desertification); b. Development pressures (encroachment and agriculture); c. Natural disasters (floods and fires); and d. Visitor/Tourism pressures.

Tourism Impact

29. Over the past few years the domestic and foreign tourism index on the landscape increased tremendously. The premature exposure of the site to the world as a possible world heritage site, had pooled many tourists and visitors far and wide, at home and abroad. The influx of tourists has resulted in deterioration of the fragile, uncompleted restoration work. It has also exposed many of otherwise hidden spots to visitors, hence many important materials of historical interest had been damaged or stolen. Many had been taken away and sold outside the country or are in private hands.(29) Even those that were retrieved from the looters because they had been removed from their original location; it is difficult to establish their historical context which is important to archaeological research and interpretation.

Security

30. Since Oke-Idanre Cultural Landscape has become a full blown tourism destination in Nigeria today, it needs to be protected from damages to the already identified cultural assets especially from tourists’ actions, hunters, looters and other encraochers. The problems that need to be tackled by the Managers of the Site are many; the security of the site on daily bases (night and day) is very important, and should be given a priority position in all management considerations.I

Awareness Campaign and Training.

31. The cornerstones of sustainable management of an archaeological site is constant awareness campaign. It is also an effectively tested method. For Oke-Idanre Cultural landscape to maintain its integrity and authenticity, the need for constant awareness campaign is imperative; so also is the need to train the workers on the site on continuous basis. Because of ignorance or lack of knowledge of the need for conservation, the people have committed many atrocities on nature around them with irreversible negative consequences.

32. The mechanism of guiding the tourists in the use of fire and inflamable materials on the landscape should be established, as all the fire outbreaks are not always intentional. Accidental fire outbreak can come from farmers around and by the tourists making food or barbeque on the site. The left over of the fire can spread especially in the dry seasons. Therefore there is the need to give specific instructions to tourists and guides on fire prevention as part of their orientation.

33. An example of the effectiveness of constant awareness campaign was the one organized in 1993, because of the constant incident of bush fires which destroyed many valuable properties and cocoa plantations (not on Oke-Idanre Cultural Landscape); by my NGO, (Development Action Agency) in collaboration with another NGO (Food Basket Foundation) based at the University of Ibadan. We launched a ”Campaign Against Bush Burning” in three States (Oyo, Ekiti and Ondo) and five local government council areas in Western Nigeria (Idanre included), which were mostly affected. The campaign was very effective for the years that followed. The campaign was sponsored by a German International NGO, Frederich Ebert Foundation then headquartered in Lagos. The same method could be used for the archaeological and heritage sites as an essential part of their management. Some of the other identified problems faced at the Site are:

A. Religious onslaunght. The danger posed by the modern religious practice in the form of Penticostal or Evangelical Christianity, (as opposed to the orthodox protestant Christianity), which emphasizes miracles has totally occupied the cultural space of the people in the community. It makes the practice of the people’s primordial cultural practices a sin and a no-go area. I have personally witnessed people setting fire on the important artifacts which they claimed are symbols of heathen practice inimical to Christian belief. The onslaught of the religious campaign against the local cultural practice is doing a lot of damage to the cultural festivals of the people as well. This has also affected the cultural institutions such as chieftaincy systems. Chieftaincy system of imposing taboos had been the effective form of the cultural and natural heritage preservation in the past; all these are now eroded and almost totally abandoned.

B. Cultural re-interpretation. Modern education that should have lent support to the cultural re-interpretation has all along become the menace that erodes its relativity. To be sure, traditional cultural practice, which imposed some taboos, had been used to preserve the relics and shrines in the past; their abandonment without a viable substitute, has contributed to the loss of those practices. People fear taboos because they know or imagine the consequences of contravening such taboos. They believe that the consequence, which is usually negative, may go beyond the offender, and may be suffered by the next generation and ad infinitum. This absence of cultural re-interpretation also has an effect of making the people to lose their cultural relativity and integrity. All cultures are possible to adapt to modern-day practices, but when it comes from inertia to total abandonment, then it poses an irreparable danger to the cultural authenticity of the people, and its future relevance.

C. Festivals. In Idanre today, except Orosun festival whose resilience in the face of the offensive and counter attacks by other religions is a miracle in itself, most of the cultural practices of old, such as the passage rites, naming ceremonies; marriage ceremonies in traditional way have all been extinct. Where the people still practice some of these, they are just a shadow of its original precinct.

D. Active re-inventorizing. Since the site was presented for consideration on UNESCO tentative listing, tourism both domestic and foreign, have increased tremendously; these visiting tourists and natives alike have caused many alterations in the form of physical damages. Natural influences like weathering effects have also occurred; therefore new inventory would be needed to ascertain the position of the site presently.

E. Management control and regulation. It may be desirable to control tourism and the extent of the exposure of the site to tourists before reparations are completed; and if tourism will be allowed pari pasu with the heritage or archaeological activities, tourist guides would need to be specially trained on the handling of the presentation to tourists, considering the fragile condition in which the site is at the moment. The harphazard, and inconsistent presentation of the landscape as it is done today leaves much to be desired. There is need to train the tourist guides who would be working on the site; especially on the history and the significance of the highlighted spots. Therefore, new documentation would need to be prepared to tell the accepted and more tenable history of the landscape.

F. Participatory approach. Management focus of Oke-Idanre cultural Landscape must be on participation of all stakeholders that is, the Governments at all levels, the Federal, the State and the Local; the communities and the interested private sector, the obeservance of strict measures and rules must be put in place especially as regards to profit and responsibilities sharing fomula. Security of person and property should be considered, so also are the health or medical facilities necessary parts of the management requirements. The rift between host community and heritage managers often stem from allegation that their practices tends to alienate them from their cultural property. At Oke-Idanre Cultural Landscape, the issue of participation of all stakeholders, the government, the community and interested private sector is a recurrent one; that made the Ondo State government, who is the major financier of the project, to set up an ad hoc committee to consider all the issues involved. The main findings circled around the need for participation of all stakeholders from the level of planning to implementation, especially the need for consistency, transparency and continuity. Also at Osun Osogbo, one of the two World Heritage Sites in Nigeria there was a problem recently when The Ataoja (King) of Osogbo sent a letter to National Museum, Osogbo who manages the site, directing all visitors to the Osun-Osogbo Grove to henceforth register in the palace rather than to the museum. Only the swift intervention of the ICOMOS Nigeria that resolved the issue. It was after much deliberations, when the delegates explained the implications of the letter for the security of the Site, that the King agreed to withdraw the letter but with a proviso that NCMM and Osogbo Museum will effect all necessary commitments for the benefit of the community.(30) The lesson to be derived from these episodes is that participatory approach to site management whether archaeological site or heritage site is considered to be very important. (31)

Decentralisation and Delegation of functions

34. The golden rule of good management practice makes delegation of functions a necessity. While the issue of Community participation is not new to ICOMOS, for one can read it in many of its documents; there is general agreement that delegation of functions is far better than concentration of power in the hand of the government. In a situation where everything is concentrated in the state house, there is little that could be done because of the need to keep government documents secret and other bureaucratic nature of the government; the input by other organisations outside the government, which will be valuable to the sustenance of the site’s integrity will be lost. In all documents published by UNESCO and other agencies, as far as policy implementation on heritage is concerned, the roles of external organisations such as NGOs, CBOs and private sectors are recognised, they are collectively called ”Friends of Heritage.”

Friends of Heritage

35. NGOs and CBOs. and Private Sector Participation. The role of the NGOs (Nongovernmental organisations) and CBO (Community based organisations) in the implementation of policies as regards to Heritage site management is very important. The government should not see them as rivals but as partners in progress; that is, as ”Friends of Heritage;” the government should not hesitate to invite private sector participation in some areas when needed.

Transparency –Faithful implementation of policies.

36. The best policy will be destroyed unless it is carried out with utmost honesty and transparency. The bane of all management practices in Nigeria today including the NGOs is the lack of tranparency in their work. Without transparency, no policy can be effective no matter how good it might be on paper. The remark of the management plan of 2008-2013 that ”It is expected that the faithful (my emphasis) implementation of this management plan by all stakeholders will ensure that this unique heritage is preserved for humanity.” is tenable here. (32)

Funding

37. Unless there is a mechanism for funding of projects of this magnitude, on a sustained bases, the purpose of any management set up on it will be defeated; because due to under-funding, there will be no tangible or sustainable result. This is especially true of recurrent (as different from capital) expenses, such as payment of salaries to functionaries at all levels, and payment of compensations to those who deserve them. It was noticed that the government is reluctant to commit all the funds necessary for the management of Oke-Idanre Cultural Landscape, especially when it does not in itself generate the revenue to justify such amount to be spent. This is the area where the encouragement of tourism activities comes in; it becomes a sort of vicious circle; since tourism brings in income to defray some of the costs of its maintenance. However, for the integrity of Oke-Idanre Cultural Landscape to be sustained and its authenticity assured, a controlled mechanism for tourism activities will have to be applied; specially so now that the site is still in the process of construction, re-construction and restoration. The means of funding the conservation activities on short and long term bases must be assured. At this moment, there is no way that tourism can bring enough fund to justify the works needed on the site. This is why an external funding from international organisations and others are mostly needed. The annual government subvention, if available, can hardly meet the management expenses leave alone the reconstruction needs. There is a need too, of fund raising activities specifically for the Site.

Heuristic approach.

38. There is a believe that strict application of general management theories to projects will always yeild the same result everywhere irrespective of the environmental and cultural considerations. It is also agreed in another school of thought that the application of general rules cannot always be applied in all cases and areas. Like in most of the social science theories, general application of theories may not be adequate for particular phenomena or community; some social issues are relative to particular cultural practices, in that case, the site managers should not be afraid where necessary to apply their discretion, as long as it is in agreement with general goal of conserving and preserving heritage. In other words, where the application of general threories is inadequate to handle a particular issue, the practitioners should not be afraid to apply heuristic method in solving the particular problems. This means in affect that each problem will need to be solved in consideration to the social values of society where it arises. This is where the application of traditional knowledge comes in, again while the effectiveness of the use of traditional knowledge in preserving sites is not doubted, the bottom line is still that, the best policy will be ineffective unless it is faithfully implemented.

39. The suggested heuristic approach above is particularly applicable to African setting where changing circumstances may necessitate change in policies at a short notice, especially in a fragile political atmosphere such as in Africa today; like Huxley’s remark that: “writing about Africa is like trying to sketch a galloping horse that is out of sight before you have sharpened your pencil”.(33) Another issue, not minding the repetition, is the involvement of other sectors especially the NGOs concerned with the preservation of heritage whether cultural or natural; and the business entrepreneurs, where that will help to augment or provide additional fund for the maintenance of the site without damaging it.

40. My suggestion is that for Oke-Idanre Cultural Landscape to be sustainable both as a tourist and cultural landscape, and as an historic town which it is, definite policy should be adopted that will to a considerable extent, make the site an entity which allows it to be self-funding in addition to government subvention. Like a chartered body, it must be managed by its own committee or board. Fund raising activities must be allowed for financing the projects; and one must not expect an immediate return on an investment made. It must always be in the back of our minds that Oke-Idanre Cultural Landscape has the unique features of a preserved homestead that is not available anywhere in Nigeria. That is one of its selling points which must be retained otherwise, in time, it will lose its relevance either for cultural tourism site or heritage. Think of La Grada Familia in Barcelona Spain which had been scheduled to go on for 200 years before its completion; to make it look like architect Antoni Gaudi’s design. Suzanne Wenger worked for several decades before she could bring Osun Oshogbo to be recognised and listed as a World Heritage Site.

Conclusion

41. All these said and done, my recomendation for managing Oke-Idanre Cultural Landscape and similar archaeological sites are as follows:-

1. Constant campaign as a follow-up of the government policies on the project. Lessons learned from field activities need to be disseminated widely to show the relevance of conserving the heritage of the people; dissemination could be done in many ways, including social media and publicity.

2.The involvement of the communities, that is, the participation of all the stake holders and even the private partnership in the projects, in planning and implementation of programmes as long as such involvements do not conflict with the general goal of preserving the cultural and natural setting of the site, should be properly considered. Involving others and especially the local communities in heritage activities will go a long way in conservation work of Heritage and archaeologiucal sites.

3. In the case of funding, there should be proper source by which the functions and activities of management personnel could be financed. It is found that annual allocation by the government where it exists, cannot alone sustain the huge amount involved in the maintenance and restoration involved in the project. Other avenues for funding, through international and national funding agencies should be sourced. The management should be given the power with legal backing, to launch fund raising activities when necessary.

4. Constant impact study analysis will provide the information on where there are policy lapses. These should be done as before and after effects of campaign and action. Policies should be modified accordingly.

5. Government agencies should not see the participation of NGOs and other interested bodies such as academic institutions as rivalry but rather as partners in progress. ”The field of cultural heritage is no longer solely dependent on the expertise of art and architectural historians, archaeologists, conservators, curators and site museum administrators. It has expanded across disciplinary boundaries and social contexts.”(33)As recommended by UNESCO, ”States Parties should…review and reinforce governance frameworks within management systems of World Heritage properties in order to achieve the appropriate balance, integration and harmonization between the protection of OUV and the pursuit of sustainable development objectives. This will include the full respect and participation of all stakeholders and rights holders, including indigenous peoples and local communities, the setting up of effective inter-institutional coordination mechanisms and provisions for the systematic assessment of environmental, social, and economic impacts of all proposed developments, as well as effective monitoring through continuity in data collection against agreed indicators.”(34)

6. The recommendations in the ”Salalah Guideline for the Management of Public Archaeological Sites” and the recently published document, World Heritage and sustainable development in Africa as guidelines to proper management should together form the basis for good management of heritage sites either with or without archaeological spots.(35)

7. If Oke-Idanre Cultural Landscape is to be retained as an historic town that is, There is need for the Africa Initiative Group to beam their search light on the site to help where needed to rescue it from total collapse. This will require volunteering work from dedicated entusiasists from everywhere. Even with the elaborate management plans put in place, The work on Oke-Idanre will require experienced professionals which Nigeria can not provide alone. As Ayomide et al, have said: The situation on Oke-Idanre Cultural Landscape ”demands urgent attention by concerned stakeholders especially government, Local and International NGOs, private bodies. Business investors are also reminded of the golden opportunity to invest on the landscape.” If organisations, or any other professionals offer to help in any way, I am convinced that they will be welcomed by the State and Federal Governments in Nigeria.

8. There should be training specifically in participatory planning with government agencies to develop partnerships for heritage conservation and management with local communities, NGOs and private sector. Government must support participatory negotiation process involving the participants it will greatly facilitate sustainable heritage and archaeological site management by local people and help resolve local conflicts.

9.There were many issues of deliberate destruction of the crucial part of the Idanre Cultural Heritage site, felling of documented trees, removal of identified archaeologial materials, even up to the killing of elephants and indiscriminate bush burning. The latest such incident was the killing of an elephant in Idanre on which the Adedayo commented that”It has become very disheartening that those we regarded as the custodians of the people’s cultural and natural heritage are now at the vanguard of their destructions in our dear country Nigeria. Be them in the royal gown, political class or in the realms of governance, they are all in the rat race of destructing the very institutions and organizations that made them relevant to the governed people.” (36)

(Plates V and VI)

THE END

Notes

* Cultural and Natural heritage Foundation is heritage conservation and research organization in Nigeria, Institutional member of ICOMOS, founded in 2006, and incorporated in 2010, as an NGO.

1. Soyinka, Wole, Idanre and Other Poems, Mrnthuel& Co Publishers, London 19575.

2. Schiøtz, Arne, The amphibians of Nigeria Danish State Research Foundation, 1963.

3. B. Abiodun Onadeko; Mark-Oliver Rödel; H. Christoph Liedtke and Michael F. Barej. “The rediscovery of Perret’s toad Amietophrynus perreti (Schiøtz, 1963) after more than 40 years, with comments on the species’ phylogenetic placement and conservation status” Zoosyst. Evol. 90 (2) 2014. Pp. 113 – 119 Museum fur naturkunde.

4. Richards, 1957; D. J. Hambler ”The vegetation of granitic outcrops in Western Nigeria” (JSTOR, Journal of Ecology, vol, 52, 1964; Michael B. Gleave, ”Hill settlements and their abandonment in Western Yorubaland” 2007; Zbigniew Dmochowski, An Introduction to Nigerian Traditional Architecture, (1960) (3vols. vol.2, pp 2. 31-2.35.

5. IUCN In Nomination Dossier Oke-Idanre Cultural Landscape, Nigeria January 2009.

6. Olugbega Ige , Chinyere Adeyemi, Adisa Ogunfolakan, Abel Ayansola, Ayodeji Olayemi, Yetunde Taiwo, Moshood Olayiwola, Joshua Oyelade ”An Inventory of the Geological, Biological and Cultural Resources on Ufe-Oke Hill, “Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Obafemi Awolowo University Ile Ife, Nigeria. Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, Vol. 5, No. 14, July 2014. MCSFR Publishing, Rome-Italy Pp. 649 – 654.

7. The Government of Nigeria Nomination Dossier Oke-Idanre Cultural Landscape, Nigeria. January 2009.

8. Evelyn Osagie in her, Idanre: ”Treasured relics cry for rebirth”, published in Life Midweek Magazine, January 2010). Idanre, Southwestern Nigeria” also Babatope Okeowo ”Idanre Hills, for UNESCO Heritage list” April 2009.

9. Gilbert Thomas Carter, ”Dispatches”. In S. O. Agbo Akintan, The History of Idanre (Ufe’ke) Earliest Times to the Present.2014, John Archers (Publishers) Ltd. Ibadan, Nigeria.

10. Richard Kuba and Musa Hambolu, Leo Frobenius in West Africa, Nigeria 100 years ago.

11. Charles Akinde. Idanre Heritage, Afrografika Publishers, Conpenhagen and Idanre. 2010.

12. Gilbert Thomas Carter op cit.

13. Bovell-Jones. T. B. Intelligence Report on the Idanre district in the Ondo Division of the Ondo Province. 1934.

14. Egharevba, Jacob . History of Benin, First edition. p.11.

15. Gilbert Thomas Carter op. cit.

16. Susan Mullin Vogel (Ed) For the spirits and Kings African Arts from the Paul and Ruth Tishman Collection. Nigerian section by William Fagg. Pp. 102, 103 112 and 113. The Methropolitan Museum of Art.

17. A. Y. B. Anifowose and F. Kolawole, ”An Appraisal of Geotourism Potentials of the Idanre Hills, Nigeria” Geoheritage 2014 Journal of European Association for conservation of the Geological Heritage (published on-line)

18. Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, United Nationss World Tourism Organisation, United NationsDevelopment Programme and Tourism development International, Nigeria Tourism Master plan January 2006.

19. NCMM, Nomination Dossier, Oke Idanre Cultural Landscape, Nigeria., 2007.

20. Nomination Dossier op sit.

21. ICOMOS. Comments of the Dossier on Oke Idanre Cultural Landscape.

22. Olugbenga Ige et al. Op cit.

23. A.Y. B. Anifowose and F. Kolawole, op cit. (Threats, p.9)

24. Roland Abiodun ”Woman in Yoruba Religious Images” African languages and Cultures, 2, 1 1989. Pp.1-18.

25. IICOMOS ”comment of Oke Idanre Cultural Landscape.” op cit.

26. Adeleye Yekini Biodun Anifowose and Folarin Kolawole (2014) ”Appraisal of the Geotourism Potentials of the Idanre Hills, Nigeria” in Geoscience. Springer (Published on line).

27. NCMM Management Master plan for Oke-Idanre Cultural Landscape 2008-2013

28. Dennis Duerden, African Arts, an Introduction, Hamlyn, London 1974. Pp. 3, and 10 – 11. Susan Vogel: For Spirits and Kings, especially the contribution of William Fagg, ”Bowl” on page 102; ”Housepost with Equestrian Figure” on P. 112 and 113.

29. Adedayo Report on ICOMOS NIGERIA mission to Osun Osogbo. Report on the visit to Osogbo. (on line 2018)

30. Anon. (2018) “Threats and Strategies for the Preservation of Museum Collections and Oke-Idanre Heritage Site.” Association of Critical Heritage Studies, (ACHS) Nigeria. See also NCMM, Conservation Management Plan 2008-2013. For Oke Idanre Cultural Landscape. Nigeria.

31. NCMM Management Master plan for Oke-Idanre Cultural Landscape 2008-2013 op cit

32. Huxley, Elisbeth Forks of Hope. Quoted in Charles Akinde, ”Language, Education and Social Development in Nigeria”. Ph.D. Theses 1980.

33. Angela M. Labrador and Neil Asher Silberman E(Eds) The Oxford Handbook of public Heritage Theory and Practice. (OUP) Print publication date. Sept. 2018. Online publication date. January 2018.

34. UNESCO. (2015) ”The Policy Document for the integration of sustainable Development Perspective into the processes of the World Heritage Convention as adopted by the General Assembly of States Parties to the World Heritage Convention at its 20th session” item 8.

35. ICOMOS/ICAHM (2017) ”Salalah Guidelines for the Management of Public Archaeological Sites” and ”The Salalah Recommendation of Archaeological Parks and Sites”, also Edmond Moukala and Ishanlosen Odiaua (Eds) World Heritage and Sustainable Development in Africa, UNESCO, Paris.2018.

36. Olufunso Adedayo on Heritage in Nigeria, on-line comment.

Resources and References

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Fagbenro, O.A.; and S.O. Oladeji. (2010) ”Social and Economic Importance of Oke Idanre Cultural Landscape.” Paper presented at the Forum organised by Cultural and Natural Heritage Foundation, Idanre on 14th of September 2010.

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Arowosafe F. C; E. A. Agbelusi and F.K. Omole (2013) “Infrastructural Development as a Veritable Tool For Tourism Development in Ondo State” in Journal of Tourism, Hospitality and Sports – and Open Access International Journal Vol. 1. 2013. Pp. 36 – 42.

Onadeko, B. Abiodun; Mark-Oliver Rödel; H. Christoph Liedtke and Michael F. Barej. (2014) “The rediscovery of Perret’s toad Amietophrynus perreti (Schiøtz, 1963) after more than 40 years, with comments on the species’phylogenetic placement and conservation status” in Zoosyst. Evol. 90 (2) 2014. Pp. 113 – 119 Museum fur naturkunde.

Adeleye, Yekini Biodun Anifowose and Folarin Kolawole, (2014) “Appraisal of the Geotourism Potentials of the Idanre Hills, Nigeria” in Geoheritage (Published online) 11 March 2014. (11pp.) The European Association for Conservation of the Geological Heritage.

Dmochowski, Zbigniew (1960).An Introduction to Nigerian traditional Architecture (3 vols) v.2. Pp. 2.31 – 2.35

Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; United Nationss World Tourism Organisation; United Nations Development Programme and Tourism development International. Nigeria Tourism Master plan, January 2006. (NIR/03/002.)

Ogunfolakan, B.A. and Olayemi A. (2008) ”Preliminary Report of Elephant Remains in Archaelogical Site within Idanre Township, Ondo state, Nigeria” in Nyame Akuma 69, June 2008.

Ogunbodede, E. F. (2012) “Patronage Pattern of Tourists to Idanre Hills and Its Implications for Tourism Development in Nigeria.” in Journal of Environmental Research and Development, Vol.6. No.3A, January – March 2012. Pp. 908 – 915.

Bukola, O; Adetola; Ifeoluwa B. Adewumi; and Henry T. Olonimoyo. (2016) “Tourist Satisfaction with Attractions of Idanre Hills, Ondo State, Nigeria.” in American Journal of Tourism Management 2016, 5 (1) Pp. 1 – 8.

Vogel, Susan Mullin. (Ed) (1981) For Spirits and Kings African Art from the Paul and Ruth Tishman Collection.The Metropolitan Museum of Art. New York.

Anon. (2018) “Threats and Strategies for the Preservation of Museum Collections and Oke Idanre Heritage Site.” Association of Critical Heritage Studies, (ACHS) Nigeria. (2018).

Oladeji, S. O.; and O. O. Akinrinola. (2010) “Potentials of Cultural Heritage Tourism as Basis for Sustainable Heritage Site Development in Nigeria. in App. Trop. Agric. Vol. 15 Nos 1 & 2 Pp. 6 – 11, 2010. (School of Agriculture and Agricultural Technology, The Federal University of Technology, Akure. Nigeria.).

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Akintan, S. Agboola. (2014) The History of Idanre (Ufe’ke) Earliest Times to the Present. 2014, John Archers (Publishers) Ltd. Ibadan, Nigeria.

Akinde, Charles Oladipo. (2013) Orosun. The person, the Goddess, and the Festival. – Aspects of an Intangible Heritage of Idanre. 2013. Afrografika Publishers, Idanre, and Copenhagen, Denmark.

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Ige, Olugbenga; Chinyere Adeyemi; Adisa Ogunfolakan; Abel Ayansola,; Ayodeji Olayemi; Yetunde Taiwo; Moshood Olayiwola; and Joshua Oyelade (2011) “An Inventory of the Geological, Biological and Cultural Resources on Ufe-Oke Hill,” (2014) Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, Vol. 5, No. 14, July 2014. MCSFR Publishing, Rome-Italy Pp. 649 – 654; also in Natural Resources, 2011, 2, 180-190
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Bliero, Suzanne Preston. (2012) ”Art in Ancient Ife, Birthplace of the Yoruba” in African Arts Winter 2012, Vol. 45 No.4. Pp. 32-39.

Ayomide, David Oluwatuyi; Anthony Enisan Akinlo, Adewumi John Babafemi, and Ireti Taiwo Temituro (2018) ”Modelling and Evaluation of the Potential for Cable Car System in Idanre Hill: A Road Map to Tourism Revival in Ondo State, South-Western, Nigeria” in Journal of Tourism, Hospitality and Sports. (An international Peer-reviewed Journal) Vol. 54, 2018).

About the Author.

Charles Oladipo Akinde was a German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) beneficiary. He was a former consultant and reseach specialist at the Unesco Institute for Education, (Now Unesco Institute for Lifelong Learning) in Hamburg Germany 1980 to 1983. He was a research Affiliate at the Nigerian Institute for Social and Economic Research NISER Ibadan, Nigeria and a former consultant to The Department of Adult Education, University of Ibadan.

Mr. Charles Akinde is a member of many international organisations, including ICOMOS since 2013. He is currently the National Vice President of ICOMOS National Committee, Nigeria. He is also a member of the Association of Critical Heritage Studies in Nigeria. And many others. He is currently the Chairman of the Management Committee for Oke Idanre Cultural Landscape, a consultant for Ondo State Government on The preparation of management plan and dossier for Oke Idanre Cultural Landscape Nigeria. He is the founder and Chief Executive of Cultural and Natural Heritage Foundation, Nigeria. (an NGO).

Contact Addresses:

Cultural and Natural Heritage Foundation, Nigeria.

In Nigeria: 228 Broad Street, P.O. Box 109, Odode Idanre, Ondo State. Nigeria. Tel: +234 7069308712

In Europe: Ulsøparken, 2, 6. 1. 2660 Brøndby strand Denmark. Tel +45 71527708.

Appendix

The Translation of Mr. Joseph’s handwritten note on his experience at Oke-Idanre Cultural Landscape

Today we took part in the completion of the two bridges, on top of Idanre Hill. Arriving at the location, we found a half completed bridge from the previous day. This gave a feeling of excitement and hope, the hard work of chopping the bamboo and bringing it to the location was already finished.

Chief Igbalaye had a vision for the design of the bridge and directed and guided everyone very effectively. Watching him, I got the impression he was trained as an engineer and craftsman, he was also very skillful with working with bamboo.

One challenge was that of fitting the bamboo to walk on for the main part of the bridge. We all spent a lot of time rearranging the pieces, No matter what combination we tried we could not seem to find a placement that worked. After some time, we realized that one piece was bent and that we should not use it. This struck me as an important lesson that could be applied to any aspect of life. Sometimes we think we need something, but in reality it is causing obstacles to an objective we are trying to achieve.

After completion, we all walked across each bridge and took some group photographs. The bridges felt strong and sturdy and left confident that the bridge was in usable shape for the community.

In the afternoon, we had a group discussion about each of our individual involvements in the organization. Each of the leaders also gave their history in the organization. The discussion also went into the area of the world’s perception of Nigeria and what we as volunteers can do to share our positive experiences we have had in Nigeria.

We finished the day singing songs and doing a group evaluation.

(Signed by: Joseph (Jojo).