CONSERVATION OF DOGO NA HAUWA VILLAGE AS CULTURAL HERITAGE DARK TOURISM SITE IN PLATEAU STATE, NIGERIA
Main Article Content
Abstract
Dark tourism, which involves visiting sites linked to death and tragedy, is becoming a prominent topic in discussions about global heritage. This study explores the potential for preserving Dogo Na Hauwa, a village in Plateau State, Nigeria, that experienced a tragic massacre in 2010, as a cultural heritage and a dark tourism destination. Honouring this location could offer various benefits, such as fostering reconciliation, preserving historical memory, and boosting economic growth through tourism. The research utilized in-depth interviews and document analysis to gather local views on dark tourism, conservation strategies, and sustainable heritage management. The findings reveal a split in community opinion: while some residents view site preservation as a means to honour victims, educate future generations, and attract visitors, others express concerns about retraumatisation, the commercialszation of tragedy, and a lack of government support. The study highlights the need for a comprehensive approach that includes inclusive stakeholder engagement, culturally sensitive interpretation, and sustainable tourism policies. It also underscores the necessity of investing in infrastructure, developing policy frameworks, and supporting community-led initiatives to ensure that dark tourism sites significantly contribute to cultural heritage conservation and socioeconomic development. Finally, preserving Dogo Na Hauwa as a dark tourism site presents a unique opportunity to balance memory, justice, and the economic advantages of tourism. If managed effectively, it can aid in peacebuilding, reconciliation, and a deeper understanding of Nigeria’s historical conflicts within the broader context of global dark tourism.
Downloads
Article Details
Section
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
References
Adunbi, O. (2015). Oil wealth and insurgency in Nigeria. Indiana University Press.
Akinola, O. (2019). Heritage and conflict in Nigeria: Challenges of preservation. African Studies Review.
Akpoyomare, T., & Olorunfemi, A. (2019). Tourism and historical memory in Nigeria. Journal of Heritage Studies.
Aleshinloye, K., et al. (2025). Community perceptions of dark tourism in Africa: A social exchange perspective. Tourism Management.
Araoz, G. (2011). Preserving heritage through participatory governance. International Journal of Heritage Studies.
Arvind, R. (2024). Ethical conservation strategies for dark tourism sites. Journal of Sustainable Tourism.
Assylkhanova, A., Nagy, G., Morar, C., Teleubay, Z., & Boros, L. (2024). A critical review of dark tourism studies. Tourism Review International, 28(4), 355–372.
Best, S. (2007). Conflict and peacebuilding in Plateau State, Nigeria. University of Jos Press.
Biran, A., Poria, Y., & Oren, G. (2011). Sought experiences at dark tourism sites. Annals of Tourism Research, 38(3), 820–841.
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101.
Chirikure, S., et al. (2020). Heritage management in Africa: Challenges and prospects. World Archaeology.
Chiwawa, N., & Wissink, H. (2023). Sustainable tourism for local and regional development in South Africa: Unlocking economic potential through responsible tourism strategies. African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure, 12(3), 1163–1175.
Coetzee, M. (2025). Recurating Robben Island: Cultural objects, digital memory, and the entropic afterlives of national heritage. American Journal of Cultural Sociology. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41290-025-00260-0
De la Torre, M. (2013). The values-based approach to heritage conservation. Getty Conservation Institute.
Ekpo, U., & Ayodele, T. (2021). Community participation and indigenous knowledge in heritage conservation in Nigeria. Journal of Cultural Heritage Management and Sustainable Development, 11(4), 389–405.
Fatorić, S., & Seekamp, E. (2017). Evaluating climate change adaptation for cultural heritage. Journal of Environmental Management, 187, 320–330.
Ferguson, R., & Al-Kilidar, H. (2016). Community perspectives in dark tourism. Journal of Tourism and Cultural Change.
Harrison, R., & Sterling, C. (2020). Heritage futures: Comparative approaches to heritage and sustainability. International Journal of Heritage Studies, 26(6), 551–567.
Heidelberg, J. (2015). Ground Zero and the politics of memorialization. Memory Studies.
Human Rights Watch. (2010). Nigeria: Massacre in Dogo Na Hauwa. HRW Report.
Jayarathne, S. (2025). Ethical storytelling in dark tourism conservation. Journal of Heritage Tourism.
Johnson, A. (2021a). Ethno-religious conflicts in Northern Nigeria. African Security Review.
Johnson, A. (2022b). Memory and violence in Nigerian communities. Conflict Studies Quarterly.
Johnson, O. (2021c). Ethno-religious conflicts and their impact on tourism development in Northern Nigeria. African Journal of Peace and Conflict Studies, 10(2), 55–72.
Johnson, O. (2022d). Tourism, memory and reconciliation: Dark heritage in Jos, Nigeria. Journal of Heritage Tourism, 17(4), 389–405.
Kimani, J. (2021). Effect of Civil War on the Performance of Tourism Industry in Africa: A Critical Literature Review. International Journal of Modern Hospitality and Tourism, 1(1), 1–15.
Labadi, S. (2022). UNESCO, heritage and sustainable development: International frameworks and local realities. World Archaeology, 54(1), 1–18.
Labadi, S., & Logan, W. (2015). Urban heritage, development and sustainability. Routledge.
Laka, I. S. (2026). Dogo Na Hauwa, Plateau State, Nigeria. GIS Laboratory. Department of Geography and Planning, University of Jos. Unpublished.
Lee, Y. L. (2023). Dark Tourism, Hate and Reconciliation: The Sandakan Experience. Journal of Tourism and Cultural Change, 21(3), 245–262.
Lennon, J., & Foley, M. (2000). Dark tourism: The attraction of death and disaster. Continuum.
Light, D. (2017). Progress in dark tourism and thanatourism research. Tourism Management, 61, 275–301.
Logan, W., & Wijesuriya, G. (2023). People-centered approaches to heritage conservation. Heritage & Society, 16(2), 145–162.
Kollmeyer, C. (2025). Colonial legacy and contemporary civil violence: A global study from 1960 to 2018. Social Forces,104(2), 640–661.
Magano, J., Fraiz-Brea, J. A., & Leite, Â. (2022). Dark Tourists: Profile, Practices, Motivations and Wellbeing. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(19), 12100.
Marijnen, E. (2022). Eco-war tourism: Affective geographies, colonial durabilities and the militarization of conservation. Security Dialogue, 53(6), 550–566.
Martinia, A., & Buda, D. M. (2020). Dark tourism and affect: framing places of death and disaster. Current Issues in Tourism, 23(6), 679–692.
Mshelia, I. H., Kpada, R. Y., & Jeffrey, U. S. (2024). The security impact of Nigerian fallow tourist attractions on the residents of surrounding communities. Discover Global Society, 2(82). https://doi.org/10.1007/s44260-024-00082-6
Ndoro, W., & Wijesuriya, G. (2015). Heritage management in Africa: Indigenous approaches. ICCROM.
Ngewu, M. (2022). World Heritage status and public narratives: The case of Robben Island. University of Cape Town, MPhil Dissertation.
Njoku, C., & Kolapo, F. (2022a). Ethno-religious violence and heritage in Nigeria. African Conflict and Peacebuilding Review.
Njoku, C., & Kolapo, F. (2022b). Conflict tourism and cultural resilience in Nigeria. Tourism Review International, 26(3), 215–230.
O’Connell, T. (2021). Digital heritage tools for conflict sites. Heritage Science.
Ojo, M. (2013). Ethno-religious violence in Nigeria: Historical perspectives. Journal of Peace Studies.
Okpala, C. & Onodugo, V. (2023a). Tourism and conflict heritage in Nigeria. Journal of Development Studies.
Okpala, C. & Onodugo, V. (2023b). Dark tourism potentials of ethno-religious conflict sites in Nigeria. International Journal of Tourism Research, 25(1), 44–59.
Oluwaniyi, O. (2010). Conflict and peacebuilding in Northern Nigeria. African Security.
Onu, D. (2018). Slave trade heritage and tourism in Badagry. Journal of Cultural Heritage.
Orra, S. A., Richards, J., & Fatorić, S. (2021). Climate change and cultural heritage: A systematic literature review (2016–2020). The Historic Environment: Policy & Practice, 12(3–4), 434–477.
Ottuh, P. (2025a). Ethno-religious violence and tourism in Nigeria. Nigerian Journal of Social Sciences.
Ottuh, P. (2025b). Violence, memory and tourism in Nigeria: Ethical dilemmas of dark heritage. Contemporary Journal of African Studies, 33(1), 101–118.
Panayidou, E., Christou, E., & Saveriades, A. (2024). Global perspectives on dark tourism. International Journal of Tourism Research.
QSR International. (2023). NVivo qualitative data analysis software (Version 15).
Seaton, A. V. (2009). Thanatourism and its discontents. In The Sage handbook of tourism studies. Sage Publications.
Sesana, E., Gagnon, A. S., Ciantelli, C., Cassar, J., & Hughes, J. J. (2020). Sustainable heritage management and climate change: A review of vulnerability assessment approaches. Journal of Cultural Heritage Management and Sustainable Development, 10(4), 391–409.
Simpson, M. (2007). Tourism and tragedy in Africa. African Affairs.
Stone, P. (2006). A dark tourism spectrum: Towards a typology of death and macabre-related tourist sites. Tourism, 54(2), 145–160.
Strange, C., & Kempa, M. (2003). Shaping memory at Robben Island. International Journal of Heritage Studies.
Su, X., Wall, G., & Xu, H. (2020). Participatory governance in heritage management: A case study of cultural heritage sites in China. Journal of Cultural Heritage, 45, 236–244.
Timothy, D., & Nyaupane, G. (2009). Cultural heritage and tourism in developing countries. Routledge.
United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) (2021). Tourism and development report. UNWTO.
United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) (2022). Sustainable tourism strategies. UNWTO.
Vidal, C., & Ingelaere, B. (2016). Rwanda’s genocide memorials: Between remembrance and commodification. Memory Studies.
Yankholmes, A., & McKercher, B. (2015). Understanding visitors to dark tourism sites in Africa. Journal of Heritage Tourism.
Yin, R. K. (2017). Case study research and applications: Design and methods (6th ed.). Sage Publications.
Zhang, Y., Morar, C., & Boros, L. (2023). Climate change and cultural heritage: A global mapping of risks and adaptation strategies. Sustainability, 15(4), 2150.