Dozens of volunteers supported by regional and international agencies Wednesday reached the top of Sukur Mountain in the Madagali area to help with the restoration of cultural artefacts destroyed by Boko Haram insurgents.
Located on a hill above Sukur village in the Mandara Mountains in Adamawa State, Sukur Kingdom is Africa’s first listed UNESCO cultural landscape and Nigeria’s first world heritage site.
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The site is a community, which preserved much of its 600 years old culture including stone wall architecture and traditional way of life.
The African International Documentary Festival Foundation (AFIDFF) is working with UNESCO, the Nigeria Red Cross, the Adamawa State government and relevant national agencies to implement the World Heritage Volunteer (WHV) initiative, which aims at rebuilding structures in the landscape and providing support for the community.
The AFIDFF Director General, Malame Ngamariju Mangzha said the project tagged “Recovery March for Sukur Cultural Landscape” would see volunteers working with locals to restore the integrity of the landscape.
She said volunteers from around the world would learn about Sukur vernacular architecture, traditional handcraft, Sukur iron production industry as well as receive an orientation to the maintenance of the Sukur site.
According to her, the project had recorded tremendous success since 2020 as partners built a school and a library while empowering women and youths in the community.
Earlier on Tuesday, a dinner was organised to celebrate the recovery of Sukur and those in attendance included Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, represented by his chief of staff, Professor Maxwell Gidado, the director generals, National Troupe of Nigeria and ICOMOS and officials from the National Museum and Monuments Commission.
