Hegemonic Heritage and Public Exclusion in Nigeria: A Search for Inclusive and Sustainable Alternatives

John Kelechi Ugwuanyi

Department of Archaeology, University of York, [email protected]

Department of Archaeology and Tourism, University of Nigeria,

[email protected]

Abstract

The continued practice of ‘Authorized Heritage Discourse’ (AHD) in Nigeria and the non-impact it has on local communities calls to question the sustainability of heritage management in the country. The way archaeology, anthropology and other related disciplines that study and contribute to the management of heritage were introduced into the country made the entire heritage management processes non-inclusive and unsustainable. Established heritage institutions have for long existed as ivory towers with little or no impact on local communities. This paper examines the implications of this hegemony on the Nigerians’ heritage consciousness and further established how the current practices exclude the people that create and use heritage in their cultural places. The essay considered the recognition and integration of indigenous heritage knowledge systems and practices (focusing on the Igbo village arena (or ‘square’) with specific examples from Nsukka cultural area in southeast Nigeria) into the western model – AHD to boost public inclusion and encourage sustainability.