Workshop : Heritage Conservation Awareness

On the 22nd of February, in Yemoo Multipurpose Hall (Ife, Nigeria), the Ife Sungbo team in collobaration with the National Museum Ile - Ife and the AG Leventis Museum of Natural History organized a workshop on Heritage Conservation awareness. The event was sponsored by IFRA-Nigeria. The workshop was structured as a roundtable which aimed at fostering exchanges between stakeholders that all relate to the Ife Urban Archeological Heritage in different ways.

Bricklayers, quarry workers, students from secondary schools, Isoro chiefs and Emeses as well as the Olori Aderonke Ademiluyi Ogunwusi in the company of the Olori of Ife Wara were present. Academics, such as Professor Adisa Ogunfolakan, co-lead of the Ife-Sungbo Archaeological Team, the director of the Institute for Cultural Studies of the Obafemi Awolowo University, and professor Osanosa were also present. Lastly, members of the National Museum of Ife staff led by the Curator Mr. Ogunmola and members of National Commission for museum and monuments were present. About 150 persons were in attendance.

Debates during the event, highlighted that numerous Ife dwellers did not consider the Ife historical pavements as Heritage in the same categories as the popular Ife bronze and other objects dating from similar eras. The Isoro Chiefs who are custodian of sacred spaces considered potsherd pavement as a marker of sacred spaces. The Olori Aderonke Ademiluyi Ogunwusi suggested a need for further study of the pavement construction system as this may help in increasing the educational value of the pavement especially for student of Architecture and Civil Engineering.

The National Commission for Museums and Monuments staff present were introduced to the community as the contact point to reach whenever they would discover new pavement. Heritage Conservators from National Museum Ife and the AG Leventis  Natural History Museum picked up the mandate to establish Heritage Conservation Clubs across the Secondary schools in Ife beginning with the eleven schools that were represented in the attendance.

A presentation was made by Prof Cordelia Osasona from the Department of Architecture Obafemi Awolowo University and Mr Ogunmola the Curator of the National Museum Ile-Ife. Professor Adisa Ogunfolakan and Joseph Ayodokun. Joseph Ayodokun led a conversation on the Yoruba Owe an adage about the need for conservation of Heritage and valuable things. Prof Adisa Ogunfolakan moderated the comments, questions and answers section of the programme.