ABSTRACT

Abstract

Cultural property preservation starts from the identification of what constitute cultural heritage. Cultural property refers to products of human creativity by which a people and a nation reveal their identity. Most cultural property is attached to land and those not attached to land are preserved on land. Therefore, comprehensive land use Planning is important towards the preservation of cultural property. This paper is triggered by a visit to Sobi Hill in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital. Despite the long identification of the Hill as one of the cultural properties with rich history and huge tourism potentials, efforts are not in place towards planning land use and development around the Hill to give room for its preservation. Indiscriminate land development and religious activities on the Hill has really rob off its cultural value. This paper seeks to discuss the connection between land use planning, cultural property preservation and the need for government to come up with policies that would address the shortfalls and poor land planning to preserve cultural tradition. To achieve this, a doctrinal legal research method is employed which involves the examination of international, regional and national laws relating to cultural property and land use in Nigeria. The paper concluded that preservation of the cultural property in the state would be a window to attract huge revenue for the government and open the economy of the state to investors. It recommended that robust policy would go a long way in preserving collective history, culture, value systems, traditions and beliefs of the state’ cultural property among which is the hill.

Keywords: cultural heritage, values, beliefs, lifestyles, land management