The 3D documentation of the Busanyin Shrine, one of eight monuments within the Osun-Osogbo Grove, has been completed in a move to support the preservation of Nigeria’s rich cultural heritage.
A statement from the U.S. consulate in Lagos, the project titled, “Digital Documentation, Training and Conservation Planning for National Heritage Busanyin Shrine within the Osun Osogbo Sacred Grove” was awarded to CyArk, a California-based nonprofit organization and supported through the U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP).
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At the public presentation in Osogbo, U.S. Consul General Will Stevens explained that the 3D documentation of the Busanyin Shrine provides the most accurate record of the current conditions of the site to effectively plan a restoration project.
He thanked CyArk, Adunni Olorisa Trust and their local partners for working so hard to preserve a valuable national heritage. He also lauded their efforts in providing training to local professionals to build capacity in digital documentation skills and cultural heritage management.
“The United States Mission to Nigeria has a long history of supporting the protection and preservation of Nigerian cultural heritage through the Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation,” Consul General Stevens said. “We have funded over $ 1 million for preservation projects across Nigeria through the AFCP in the last 10 years.”
In addition to the Busanyin Shrine project, additional AFCP projects include documentation and conservation of the 14th-century Sungbo Eredo earthworks of the Yoruba Ijebu Kingdom in southwest Nigeria; documentation of the Ifa oral traditions in Oyo State; rock art preservation project in Cross River and Jigawa states, among many others.
The AFCP program was established in 2001 by the U.S. Congress to assist countries in cultural heritage preservation while also demonstrating American respect for other cultures.
