By Dr. Iyadunni Gbadebo

Fellow Nigerians, our heritage is at risk. Two weeks ago, news reports by the Western Post made an alarming revelation that the Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove, a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of Nigeria’s most precious cultural treasures, faces an existential threat that demands our immediate attention and action. The reports allege that there has been significant encroachment on this sacred sanctuary: residential buildings erected near its boundaries, portions of protected land allegedly sold to developers, and even a hotel under construction near its south entrance.

This is not merely a local planning issue but an assault on a site recognized globally for its Outstanding Universal Value.

For those who may not appreciate the significance of this, the Grove is the spiritual heartbeat of Yorubaland where it is said to be revered abode of Osun, the Yoruba goddess of fertility, water, love, and prosperity. The Grove is linked to the meandering river Osun that flows through it. Yoruba mythology recounts how the river goddess appeared to the founders of Osogbo, led by the hunter Olutimehin, promising protection and prosperity in exchange for annual sacrifice, thus establishing a sacred covenant between the deity and the community. This historical and spiritual connection makes the Grove an active religious site, pulsating with daily, weekly, and monthly worship rituals performed by priests, priestesses, and devotees seeking Osun’s blessings.

The spiritual life of the Grove culminates each year in the vibrant Osun-Osogbo festival, typically held over twelve days in July and August. This internationally renowned event is far more than a celebration; it is a reenactment and renewal of the mystical bonds between the goddess, the Ataoja (the traditional ruler of Osogbo), and the people. The festival showcases living Yoruba cultural traditions through drumming, dancing, elaborate costumes, praise poetry, and sacred rituals. A central figure is the Arugba, a virgin maiden of royal lineage who carries the sacred calabash containing sacrifices and the community’s prayers in procession to the main Osun shrine. Her journey symbolizes purity, hope, and the conduit between the human and divine realms, reinforcing communal identity and the sacred covenant with Osun.

The Grove, therefore, serves as a tangible expression of Yoruba cosmology and divinatory systems, a place where the spiritual world intersects visibly with the natural environment. It functions as a crucial pilgrimage site, drawing Yoruba people from across Nigeria and the diaspora who seek connection with their heritage and spiritual roots. The Grove’s significance transcends formal religious adherence; it embodies a worldview where nature, divinity, and community are deeply interwoven. The Grove’s revival owes much to the extraordinary intervention of Susanne Wenger, an Austrian artist who became deeply immersed in Yoruba culture and was known as Adunni Olorisa. Collaborating with a group of local artists known as the New Sacred Art movement, Wenger dedicated her life to challenging land speculators, repelling poachers, protecting shrines, and revitalizing the Grove’s spiritual and physical integrity.

Consequently, physical threats like land encroachment represent more than just a violation of boundaries; they constitute an attack on this sacred cosmology and the cultural identity linked to it. As a tourism professional, I recognize that few destinations can match Osun-Osogbo’s authentic cultural experience. This 75-hectare sanctuary of dense forest harbours over 400 plant species, with more than 200 known for their medicinal properties. The sacred river that flows through it is not merely water but a physical manifestation of the goddess Osun herself.

Beyond Encroachment: A Web of Threats

The encroachment crisis is further worsened by the rampant pollution of the sacred Osun River from upstream waste and mining activities, degradation of the iconic sculptures created by Susanne Wenger (the Grove’s foremost caretaker before her demise), a bisecting road that fragments the forest ecosystem, inadequate management systems and insufficient funding, and the growing tourism pressure without proper visitor management. These interconnected challenges create a perfect storm that threatens to place Osun-Osogbo on UNESCO’s List of World Heritage in Danger, or worse, risk complete delisting. This would be a devastating blow to Nigeria’s international reputation and tourism potential.

The pollution of the Osun River is particularly distressing from both cultural and public health perspectives. This is not merely an environmental issue but a spiritual desecration. Festival participants who traditionally drink or bathe in these waters now face potential health risks from upstream contamination, including alleged gold mining activities in Osun State.

A Tourism Professional’s Perspective

As someone dedicated to promoting Nigeria’s tourism assets, I find this situation profoundly concerning. World Heritage sites are precious tourism engines that drive visitor interest, create jobs, and generate economic benefits for local communities. However, sustainable tourism requires sustainable heritage. Unchecked encroachment and environmental degradation will inevitably diminish the visitor experience and ultimately destroy the very qualities that make Osun-Osogbo worth visiting.

In my two decades in Nigeria’s hospitality industry, I have witnessed how cultural authenticity becomes our most valuable tourism product in a world increasingly dominated by generic travel experiences. International travelers don’t journey thousands of miles to experience what they can find at home; they seek the unique, the authentic, and the transformative. Osun-Osogbo precisely offers this: a living sacred space where ancient traditions continue to thrive, where spirituality is palpable, and where the connection between people and place remains unbroken.

From a purely economic perspective, the preservation of such sites makes compelling business sense. Heritage tourism consistently attracts higher-spending visitors who stay longer and spend more in local economies. The ripple effects extend far beyond the immediate vicinity of the site, benefiting hotels, restaurants, transportation providers, and artisans throughout the region. At Eko Hotels, approximately 15% of our international guests express interest in cultural heritage experiences, making sites like Osun-Osogbo vital components of Nigeria’s tourism infrastructure.

Moreover, Nigeria’s competitive advantage in the global tourism marketplace lies not in beach resorts or luxury shopping (where we face stiff competition from established destinations) but in our unparalleled cultural wealth. If we fail to protect sites like Osun-Osogbo, we squander this competitive edge and diminish our nation’s appeal to the lucrative cultural tourism segment.

A Call to Action

The preservation of Osun-Osogbo demands immediate and coordinated action:

• Halt the Encroachment: The Osun State Government must immediately enforce a moratorium on all construction activities within and around the Grove, backed by visible legal action against violations.
• Strengthen Management: The updated Management Plan must be finalized, adequately funded, and rigorously implemented with clear accountability measures.
• Control Pollution: A multi-agency task force must identify and address all sources of pollution affecting the Osun River, with regular monitoring and public reporting.
• Implement Sustainable Tourism: A comprehensive tourism management plan must balance visitor access with conservation, establishing carrying capacities and managing visitor flows, especially during the festival period.
• Ensure Community Benefits: Local communities must be actively involved in protection efforts and receive tangible benefits from tourism revenue to strengthen local support for conservation.
• Boundary Demarcation and Enforcement: The boundaries of both the core World Heritage property and its buffer zone must be clearly and permanently marked using durable physical markers, supported by regular monitoring patrols involving National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM) staff, state security agencies, and trained community guards operating under official mandate.
• Establish Sustainable Funding: Concrete funding mechanisms must be established, including dedicated annual budget lines within federal and state governments, legally mandated allocation of festival revenues to conservation, and the establishment of a professionally managed Conservation Trust Fund to attract private sector and international support.
• Prioritize Scientific Conservation: A comprehensive, research-based approach to preserving the Grove’s unique sculptures must be developed, moving beyond ad hoc repairs to a systematic conservation methodology that respects their authenticity while ensuring longevity.
• Implement the Road Diversion: After nearly two decades of delay, the tarmac road bisecting the Grove must finally be diverted, restoring the site’s ecological continuity and spiritual tranquility.
• Enhance Visitor Experience: While protecting the site’s integrity, we must develop interpretive materials and programs that effectively communicate the Grove’s complex history, spiritual significance, and ecological importance, fostering visitor appreciation and respectful behavior.

The Hospitality Industry’s Role
The hospitality industry can play a big role in safeguarding sites like Osun-Osogbo through strategic partnerships. Furthermore, we can leverage our marketing platforms to raise awareness about heritage conservation. The sector can also advocate for policy improvements, as well as push for stronger heritage protection legislation and more effective enforcement mechanisms. Our collective voice represents a significant economic force that can influence policy decisions.

The current trajectory of neglect and encroachment leads to a starkly different future: a diminished Grove, stripped of international recognition, its sacred character compromised, and its potential as both a spiritual centre and tourism asset severely damaged. The choice before us is clear. As tourism professionals, cultural stakeholders, and Nigerians, we must unite behind the protection of Osun-Osogbo. Our heritage, our identity, and our economic future depend on it. Let us act decisively, before it is too late.