Marcus Balah Ryal-Net

By Marcus Balah Ryal-Net, Bogda Prucnal-Ogunsote and Erekpitan Omoikhefe Ola-Adisa

Heritage conservation is an avenue for human sociocultural value sustenance. This book chapter establishes the significant heritage values, determines the relative influential index of deterioration as well as assesses the suitable sustainable heritage conservation options within colonial town of Kaduna. Questionnaires were processed based on purposive sampling and administering 80 of them to building industry and allied heritage professionals, having 50 questionnaires that is about 62% dully filled and returned for analysis. The research instrument was validated using face and content analysis, while the Cronbach’s alpha reliability test value for internal consistency of questionnaire instrument was established as being greater than 0.7. The study findings affirmed that historic factors were most significant in value of heritage, while government neglect is the most significant cause of deterioration. Correspondingly, heritage value criteria were considered as more significant than heritage deterioration agents in ascertaining the preferred sustainable conservation options. Conclusively, heritage conservation can be achievable by aptly establishing its significant value and undertaking timely deterioration assessment. This study recommended fashioning of conservation policy model by experts that will guide government agencies on conservation programs for sustainable heritages. The model will encourage local community sociocultural and economic partnership for tourism development.

Part of the book: Urban and Architectural Heritage Conservation within Sustainability

By Marcus Balah Ryal-Net, Yohana Chanle Sati and Erekpitan Omoikhefe Ola-Adisa

Heritage conversation has continuously elicited genuine concern from stakeholders, evokes controversies, and creates disputes in determining its worldview that is truly considered universal. The concern on the adopted Eurocentric perspective of Authorised Heritage Discourse(AHD) and the emerging calls for an Alternative Heritage Discourse (ALHD) constructivist and transformative post-modernist worldview. The sustainability concerns for all indigenous and national cultures that are in accordance with their unique value system are here considered paramount. The study essentially, undertook a critical review of the historical evolution of the heritage discourse, through the three major charters and conventions of 1964, 1972, and 2003 towards contextualising the discourse perspective. The study was undertaken through a critical review of relevant literature chronologically on the heritage subject matter. The study product is the development of a framework for ALHD that is conscious of the indigenous communities’ value systems within Sub-Saharan Africa. The study recommended the use of an integrated heritage discourse framework for the identification, documentation, and conservation of indigenous heritage features and landscapes jointly by all stakeholders towards ensuring that sustainable transgenerational heritage is bequeathed.

Part of the book: Heritage