U. S. Mission Celebrates 3D Documentation Of Busanyin Shrine At Osun Osogbo Sacred Grove
THE United State ( U. S) Mission to Nigeria has continued to explore opportunities to support the preservation of Nigeria’s rich cultural heritage through its Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation ( AFCP) and other partnership mechanisms.
The recent completion of the 3D documentation of the Busanyin Shrine, one of eight monuments within the Osun- Osogbo Grove, by the US AFCP is one of such projects.
Titled Digital Documentation, Training and Conservation Planning for National Heritage Busanyin Shrine within the Osun Osogbo Sacred Grove, the project 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 appreciated 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.
Stevens said: “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. We have funded over $ 1million 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 programme 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 public presentation was attended by Nigerian alumni of U. S. government exchange programmes, senior government officials, media leaders, representatives of cultural institutions, as well as officials of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments.