The Socio Economic Impact of Cultural Heretage on Sierra Leone: Acase of Brookfield , Freetown

Abstract

Sierra Leone is arguably a country with massive and amiable cultural heritage assets which have greater bearing on the social and economic trajectory of the country. This heritage can be evident in terms of the country’s tangible culture such as buildings, monuments, landscapes, works of art, and artifacts, et al, intangible culture such as folklore, language, knowledge, and natural heritage including culturally significant landscapes, and biodiversity. Sierra Leone’s cultural heritage is a diverse blend influenced by the topography of the country and large amount of different ethnic groups inhibiting the country. The country and the people are well known for their friendliness and hospitality, with a relaxed pace on life. This Country’s cultural heritage makes it common to be entertained in hotels or restaurants, particularly business visitors.This study employed a cross sectional design with mixed methods of research approach involving questionnaire, and interviews. A purposive sampling technique was used in the selection of the respondents. A sample of eighty (80) respondents was selected purposively in the study areas. Questionnaires and in-depth interviews were used to solicit primary data from targeted population. The data generated were collected and analyzed using descriptive statistics and results were presented in tables, frequency, graphs and charts. The following were the main findings of the research:Moreover, this study also concluded that there are a range of factors that hinder cultural heritage and this study concludes that lack of human capital on specialized preservation techniques is a major factor that hinders cultural heritage in Sierra Leone and that this can result into devaluation of country’s culture, decreased employment in cultural heritage sector, and most importantly, undergrowth of government’s foreign earnings.