Climate change threatens 16 Nigeria’s heritage sites, stakeholders warn

Climate change is now threatening all the 16 heritage sites spread across the country, stakeholders in the heritage professionals have warned.

The heritage professionals who gave the warning at a one-day stakeholders’ seminar held at the University of Lagos, Akoka, Lagos, Thursday, urged the federal government to take urgent actions to save the sites.

Speaking as a guest speaker at the seminar, a professor at the UNILAG, Prof Olatunji Adejumo said Nigeria as a whole is not saved from ocean surges, urging the government to take proactive steps to prevent the country from the natural disaster.

Prof Adejumo said heritage sites should be used as a money-spinning industry via tourism by the government.

• Govt arms, ammunition in terrorists’ hands stolen – Military
• I can only vouch for one out of Tinubu’s new ministers – Adebayo Shittu

He said Nigeria’s GDP would be greatly increased if the country’s heritage sites were well developed and protected.

Also speaking, the Lagos State Commissioner for Tourism, Art and Culture, Mrs Toke Benson-Awoyinka, said Lagos is currently embarking on heritage sites mapping.

Benson-Awoyinka who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mrs Oloruntoyin Atekoja, said the mapping is meant to protect the heritage sites and increase the state’s IGR through tourism.

The Executive Secretary of the National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO), Otunba Biodun Ajiboye, said the federal government was taking measures to prevent climate change from damaging the country’s heritage sites.