The US government has awarded a $125,000 grant to the Centre for Memories in Enugu, an organisation that serves as a repository of Ndigbo history and culture, to support preservation and digital documentation of the historic Lejja Iron-Smelting Site in State.
According to the statement, the grant, provided through the U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation, will fund the conservation, three-dimensional digital documentation and physical preservation of the site, which dates to approximately 2000 BC.
The project titled “Nchekwaba: Lejja Iron-Smelting,” according to the United States Embassy and Consulate in Nigeria, will help preserve evidence of Nigeria’s long history of technological innovation and ingenuity.
“This and other AFCP grants strengthen U.S-Nigeria relations by safeguarding shared cultural heritage, fostering closer ties among our populations, and supporting sustainable preservation efforts that can economically benefit communities in both nations,” the statement reads.
“The project’s implementation by the Centre for Memories, led by U.S. exchange alumnus Iheanyi Igboko, reflects the enduring connections forged through the Cultural Heritage Forward program, which is funded by the U.S. Department of State and organised in partnership with the Smithsonian Institution.
“The year-long program connects Smithsonian experts with Nigerian museum professionals and community-based heritage practitioners to exchange expertise, strengthen professional networks, and advance the preservation of Nigeria’s cultural heritage.”
The Executive Director of the Centre for Memories, Iheanyi Igboko, said at the launch that the initiative was not about discovering Lejja but bringing together existing community knowledge and research to establish a framework for its preservation and global recognition.
The launch was attended by Enugu State Deputy Governor Ifeanyi Ossai, officials of the Federal Ministry of Arts, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, the National Commission for Museums and Monuments, ICOMOS Nigeria, the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African Art and other stakeholders.
According to the statement, the US and Nigeria also work together under a cultural property agreement signed in 2022.
The statement also disclosed that the agreement restricts the importation of certain Nigerian archaeological and ethnological materials into the United States to help combat looting and trafficking of cultural property, while strengthening law enforcement cooperation and cultural exchange.
It added that the US mission recently began discussions with Nigerian officials about extending the agreement for another five years, underscoring the continued importance the United States places on protecting Nigeria’s cultural heritage.