U.S. Mission initiates fund to support the preservation of Nigeria’s cultural heritage

The U.S. Mission recently initiated the Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP) project titled “Sustaining a Partnership in Conservation and Preservation” between the National Museum, Lagos, and Yale University Art Gallery.

This project involved Yale University Gallery of Art conducting two conservation training workshops for conservators at the National Museum Lagos and staff from Yaba College of Technology Lagos.

These workshops were aimed at enhancing the preservation of historic Nigerian artefacts through advanced storage, documentation, and treatment techniques.

The workshops held in Lagos were led by conservators from the Yale University Art Gallery and the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art.

Additional training was provided for several Nigerian museum conservators in the United States at the Yale University Art Gallery.

During an exhibition held in Lagos to mark the project’s completion, U.S. Consul General Will Stevens emphasized the U.S. government’s commitment to preserving Nigeria’s cultural heritage, utilizing the AFCP and other collaborative mechanisms.

What he said 

He stated,

• “The United States has been unwavering in its commitment to protect and preserve Nigeria’s cultural heritage and rich diversity. I am looking forward to many more opportunities like this to strengthen our combined efforts in the future.”

Julie McKay, U.S. Consulate Public Affairs Officer, emphasized that this project bolstered the cultural preservation partnership between the U.S. and Nigeria.

It achieved this by providing support for workshops in conservation techniques that were advantageous for both the National Commission for Museum and Monuments in Nigeria and American museum professionals.

• “In addition to capacity building, we have a Cultural Property Agreement in place with Nigeria, signed in January 2022, that protects Nigeria’s antiquities by prohibiting their import into the United States,” McKay added.

Director General of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Professor Abba Issa Tijani, highlighted the significance of AFCP projects within Nigerian museums.

He emphasized that the project facilitated a valuable two-way exchange between Nigerian and American wood conservators.

James Green, Curator of African Art at the Yale University Gallery of Art, pointed out that the project promoted the exchange of ideas between Nigerian conservators and their counterparts in the United States regarding advanced conservation techniques.

• “The outcomes of this project which included breakthroughs in sustainable conservation practices wouldn’t have been possible without the generous support of the U.S. Mission in Nigeria,” Green said.

In the past ten years, the United States has collaborated with the Nigerian government and state institutions to provide funding for projects exceeding one million dollars, aimed at enhancing Nigeria’s capacity in managing its cultural heritage.