Every Saturday morning, Danjuma Izang leads different groups of students, fun seekers and tourists up the Shere Hills in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau state for site-seeing.

During these periods, they would climb for hours, stopping at intervals to take pictures of the aerial view of the Jos metropolis from atop the Hill, and sit on the rocks to catch the cool breeze.

“That was about seven years ago.

Now, when you come here, the first thing you hear is not the chirping sounds of birds. It is the booming and intimidating noise of heavy blasts,” Izang  told Arewa PUNCH in Jos on Wednesday,  pointing to a section of the tourists hill where excavators are already cutting deep into the rock face.

He lamented, “They are finishing our heritage. This place used to be clean, cool, and beautiful. But the company came and started cutting the hills.

“The same rocks and hills that attract hikers, tourists and nature lovers to Plateau State are now being destroyed. Mining and quarrying activities around key tourist sites are threatening to erase the natural heritage our people.

If care is not taken, there will be nothing left for our children to see,” Izang cried out

Izang’s story is playing out across many communities in Plateau State. From Shere Hills in Jos North to Riyom Rock in Riyom LGA and tourist spots in Sheher, Jos South, mining and quarrying activities are encroaching on sites that the government and tourism stakeholders say could drive the state’s economy.

Last Tuesday, the State Commissioner for Information, Hon. Joyce Ramnap who is also in-charge of  Tourism and Hospitality, led a government team on a tour of the affected areas. What she saw confirmed the fears of locals.

“First of all, it is so gratifying the kind of endowment we have on the Plateau. The natural gifts that nature has given to us,” she spoke in gratitude.

“But talking about the threats, the government is sad to register that such a wonderful site is being tampered with.

It’s tampered with at the moment. Some of these tourists sites have been tampered with.”

The Commissioner specifically referenced Shere Hills, where visible excavation has altered parts of the landscape, saying,

“It is obvious that the company in question would not have gotten the total approval for such level of devastation that it has suffered on that site within Shere Hills area.”

She noted further, “The government would go back to it and see how that place can be protected.”

For residents living around the sites, the concern is both economic and cultural.

At the nearby Shere Hills community, a trader, Ladi Pam says her business has suffered.

“Tourists used to come every weekend. But now, the destruction going on is too much, and the road is bad as well. The government should please come and save this place. This is God’s gift to us.”

In Sheher community, where one of the most iconic rocks depicting map of Nigeria and that of Africa is located, a resident, Elder Christopher Davou says the Unity Rock as it is popularly known, is more than just a stone.

“We know mining brings money. But what about tourism? Unity Rock is known all over. People come to climb it, to see it. If they blast it, what will remain? We don’t want anything to happen to it. We want development, but not the kind of thing we are hearing in some tourist sites that are not helpful.”

A youth leader in Riyom Yakubu John

puts it more bluntly:

“This rock is our landmark. Visitors from outside Plateau ask to see Riyom Rock. If quarrying continues here, we will lose our identity. The ɠovernment should demarcate areas for mining and areas for tourism so both can survive.”

According to Hon. Ramnap, the tour was part of efforts to factor tourism into the Greater Jos Master Plan.

“The reason why we’re here today is to go round some of our heritage, the tourist heritage that we have, and government is prepared to bring them back to live in line with the Greater Jos Master Plan. We want to factor every aspect of our potentials in the master plan, so we are able to do a broader perspective of development that should last the test of time,” she explained.

The commissioner said the second goal is to develop a tourism policy.

“It is how to develop a tourism policy that should be able to sustain and protect what we have, these heritage sites that we have on the plateau. So, it is first that government has the heart to begin to develop tourism beyond just coming to this site, but to have a policy that can protect these sites.”

Thus, she appealed for partnership to protect the sites, stressing, “It is our appeal that we would find a meeting point where we can partner in protecting these properties, especially where we have these tourist attractions in the state. Let’s call it the heritage that we have.”

She also urged Plateau people to rediscover the sites.

“I am telling you that there’s healing in these natural things that we have on the Plateau. There’s so much, so much, so much tourism potentials and nature’s gift to humanity available here in Plateau.”

Also speaking during the inspection, an architect, Joseph Yakwan, Director of Building at the Plateau State Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, said the exercise would feed directly into the preparation of the Greater Jos Master Plan.

“The Greater Jos Master Plan is being developed by our ministry, and part of our responsibility is to ensure that tourism assets are adequately captured so they can contribute to the city’s future development,” he said.

At the Riyom Rock Formation, community representative Hon. Terry Davou urged the state government to revitalise the site and restore its position as one of Plateau’s premier tourist attractions.

He recalled that the landmark attracted visitors from across Nigeria and abroad during the 1970s and 1980s, and played a significant role in boosting tourism in the area.

“This rock has become one of the symbols of Plateau State. Although there are different stories about its origin, what is important today is preserving it and developing it into a world-class tourist destination site. Our community will be delighted if the government invests in its restoration and promotion,” he said.

Arewa PUNCH reports that the inspection which took the team to several tourists locations in Jos South, Jos North and Riyom LGAs  is part of the Plateau State Government’s broader strategy to integrate tourism development into the Greater Jos Master Plan, while also safeguarding the state’s natural heritage for future generations.

As the government  continues its assessments, residents like Danjuma Izang, say they are watching closely to see if the new  move by the government will translate into concrete action for the sake of preservation and protection of Plateau natural heritage.