Heritage Sites Management in South Eastern Nigeria; Issues, Challenges and

Prospects.
BY

Ifeyinwa Emejulu (Ph.D)
(Professor of Archaeology and Tourism)
Department of History and International Studies
Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka
Email: [email protected]
+2348033420322
And
Ikenna Odife
(Senior Lecturer)

Department of History and International Studies
Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka
Email: [email protected];[email protected]

+2348035499792

Abstract
Heritage sites contain the repository for understanding of the material culture of past
generations. This is against the aptness and reliability they have over other sources of
information gathering on the past. Quite a few of such sites exist in southeastern
Nigeria. They have contributed immensely in the reconstruction of the history, culture,
economy, trade and intergroup relations of the societies within and outside the region.
The nation’s legislations, Bye-Laws and Acts on Museums and Antiquities declare
such sites public property and confer their ownership and management on government
agencies. Academic disciplines and Professional Academic societies compliment
government’s effort in this direction.Yet, these sites appear to suffer insouciance. This
hampers their availability to researchers, investigators and tourists and also provide
opportunities for unwarranted interference from interlopers. This paper interrogates
the reasons for this state of affairs and what these conditions portend for Heritage
sites. It uses data derived from primary and secondary sources whose contents are
thoroughly analyzed. It does not lend its presentation to any theoretical construct but
assesses and analyzes the content of the data. It argues that the declining interest in
the management of Heritage sites stem from the acute financial challenges that beset
government agencies. Allied to the above is the fact that professional curators are not
engaged in the management of museums and antiquities. This not only hampers the
management of sites but also limits the capacity of the agencies to identify heritage
sites so as to secure and manage sites.
Key Words: Repository Heritage, Management, Sites.