The 3D documentation of the Busanyin Shrine, one of eight monuments within the Osun-Osogbo Grove, has now been completed.
Supported through the U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural
Preservation (AFCP), 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.
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.”
The public presentation was attended by Nigerian alumni of
U.S. government exchange programs, senior government officials, media leaders,
representatives of cultural institutions, as well as officials of the National
Commission for Museums and Monuments.
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.
The U.S. Mission to Nigeria continues to explore opportunities
to support the preservation of Nigeria’s rich cultural heritage using the AFCP
and other partnership mechanisms.