Sukur Cultural Landscape

Damage to the Hidi’s Palace, the Palace Square, the Black Smith Homestead, paved walkways and ritual structures by insurgents

Total amount granted: USD 22,296 in 2016 through the Hungary Funds-in-Trust for rehabilitation and conservation activities

On 29 November 2017, the State Party submitted a state of conservation report, which is available at http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/938/documents/, and reports the following:

• Relative calm has returned to the Sukur World Heritage property and, at the time of submission of the report, it is not under any resurgent threat. As a result, the residents of the property have returned and reconstructed their homesteads;
• In September 2016, a revised and updated Conservation Management Plan (CMP) 2017-2021 was finalized following a process that involved the active participation of all key stakeholders;
• The property has also been entered onto the World Monuments Fund (WMF) Watch List, and there are plans to undertake the first part of an inventory and community mapping of cultural features at the property, as well as to further develop guided tours and other visitor information tools such as guidebooks. Additionally, site wardens will be selected and trained, and the manufacture of traditional crafts will be stimulated to bolster the local economy;
• The area of the property has become a refuge for residents from the plains surrounding the high mountain land. This has led to the construction of inappropriate structures utilizing non-traditional materials and methods such as zinc roofs and cement instead of the traditional thatch roofs, negatively impacting the vernacular architecture of the property. This construction process has been employed, in part, due to the scarcity of grass as a result of climate change and the use of pesticides. Erosion has impacted negatively on the property in general, but specifically on the paved ways (civi mungan) – an essential attribute of the property. The State Party is planning to restore and in-part reconstruct the damage inflicted by Boko Haram, particularly the Hidi’s Palace. A request for international assistance was granted in March 2017, but at the time of reporting the funds that had been transferred to the State Party had not yet been received and no restoration had been undertaken;
• In May 2017, a locally based NGO constructed three chalets as eco-lodges at Sukur hilltop under the supervision of the site manager with a view to providing accommodation to visitors and researchers at the property. This project was carried out under the World Heritage Volunteers (WHV) 2017 programme.

Despite the State Party’s invitation for a mission to visit the property in January 2018, no mission could be undertaken due to the continuing levels of threat at the property and in the region in general. This analysis therefore relies on reporting only.  A joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS Reactive Monitoring mission however was carried out on 22-25 May 2018 to the Nigerian capital, Abuja, as secure access to the property is still not possible.

The updating of the CMP 2012-2016 for a new 5-year period 2017-2021 is noted with appreciation as it aims at ensuring a gapless transition into the application of the new Plan.

In the aftermath of the insurgent attacks of 2014 on the property, a temporary dislocation of parts of the local population was observed up until 2016. People have been returning in growing numbers and are settling in the area, in particular in and around the hilltop due to its relative and perceived safety. However, this growing population brings with it inappropriate construction through the use of zinc roofs and cement, as well as environmental degradation, such as erosion, leading to increased scarcity of local resources and materials. It is recommended that the Committee request the State Party to take appropriate measures to encourage the use of local materials for the development of the site and to ensure increased control of erosion on the site, as foreseen in the new CMP.

With regard to the Hidi’s Palace and the paved walkways, which were already in need of conservation before the attacks in 2014, they still need further conservation despite the restoration works undertaken and it is recommended that the Committee encourage the State Party to continue its efforts in that regard.

The State Party has reportedly engaged with the problems facing the property, but requires additional assistance to strengthen research and support conservation and management. There have been changes to the property since the 2014 attacks and these need to be clearly documented as do other changes since inscription and lack of conservation. In order to strengthen the resilience of the local communities and their traditional structures, it is recommended that the Committee request the State Party to undertake the proposed detailed mapping of cultural features as soon as funds are available, and that this include traditional structures and practices.

There also remains the need for additional assistance towards rebuilding some of the demolished community structures, such as a primary health care centre, school structure and interpretation centre and the replacement of stolen or vandalized equipment for conservation of the property.

It is worth noting the efforts undertaken or foreseen to further sustainable development, in particular through promoting eco-tourism at the site, despite the precarious security situation in the area. Such efforts include the construction, in May 2017, of three chalets/eco-lodges at Sukur hilltop by a locally based NGO and the proposal for the creation of an "International Peace Park" (presented in the CMP) which encompasses a number of interventions on the infrastructure at the property and the development of activities. These initiatives favouring the development of the property are to be welcomed in principle, but the State Party should be encouraged to provide any information on major interventions at the property in conformity with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines before any detailed approvals are made.