Germany Grants N9.9m for Rehabilitation of Kano Walls
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Daily Trust 11 May, 2004
The German government has granted a N9.9 million assistance to the National Commission for Museums and Monuments for the rehabilitation of the historic Kano city walls and gates.
Disclosing this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in Kano, the Curator of the National Museum (Gidan Makama), Kano, Dr Lekan Akinade, said the gesture followed appeals by the commission for assistance to save some of the surviving sections of the walls and gates.
He said the walls and gates were potential world heritage property, which should be saved from disappearing.
He explained the efforts of the museum to rehabilitate the Kano walls and gates was "to contribute to the development of cultural tourism and promotion of indigenous technological and engineering skills of our fore bearers."
He said the project, which commenced last week was being executed by traditional builders, artisans and craftsmen working in partnership with a museum heritage engineer, architects and an archaeologist.
Akinade said the rehabilitation project would cover a distance of 10 km, adding: "that is the distance to be
covered by the walls, while five gates namely, Kofar Dan Agumdi, Kofar Na'isa, Kofar Gadun-kaya, Kofar Dukawuya and Subuwar Kofa of the city were included".
According to him, the first phase of the project would be completed by the end of June this year, while the remaining nine kilometer wall and 11 gates would be rehabilitated later through community efforts in partnership with the state and local governments.
Akinade, who said the Kano State Government has indicated intention to support the project, said he hoped other stakeholders, interested in protecting some other areas of the city walls and gates, would support the project.
A NAN correspondent, who visited the project sites, reports that several traditional builders and artisans were seen using traditional materials to work on the walls and gates at Sabuwar Kofar.
Meanwhile, the Director-General of the National Commission for Museums and Monument, Dr Omotoso Eluyemi, on Tuesday paid a courtesy visit on the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero, to solicit the support of the emirate council for the on-going rehabilitation works.
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