U.S. launches $125,000 project to preserve 4,000-year-old Lejja Iron Smelting site in Enugu

THE United States has awarded a $125,000 U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP) grant to the Center for Memories in Enugu to support the digital documentation and physical preservation of the historic Lejja Iron-Smelting Site in Enugu State.

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 Nchekwaba: Lejja Iron-Smelting” project will support the conservation, 3D digital documentation, and physical preservation of the site, which dates to approximately 2000 BC and offers important evidence of Nigeria’s long history of technological innovation and ingenuity.

The project’s implementation by the Center for Memories, led by U.S. exchange alumnus heanyi gboko, 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.

U.S. Consul General Brandon Hudspeth launched the project in Lagos at a ceremony when he noted that the Lejja Iron-Smelting Site tells a 4,000-year-old story of ingenuity, innovation, and technological sophistication.

He explained that the AFCP grant, awarded to the Center for Memories, builds on a longstanding U.S.-Nigeria partnership to protect and preserve Nigeria’s cultural heritage. He also expressed the U.S. government’s commitment to working with Nigerian cultural…