The United States Government has invested $1.2 million in the preservation of Nigeria’s cultural heritage across 21 states over the past five years.
The US Charge d’Affaires, Keith Heffern, disclosed this on Tuesday at the unveiling of a technology-driven cultural heritage preservation initiative by the Wheyham Foundation in Abuja.
He said the funding was provided mainly through the Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation, describing the initiative as a strategic partnership designed to protect Nigeria’s heritage while advancing the interests of both countries.
“Over the past five years alone, the United States has invested $1.2 million for cultural heritage work primarily as part of the Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation across 21 Nigerian states—not as aid, but as a strategic investment that advances American interests alongside Nigeria’s,” Heffern said.
According to him, the partnership has resulted in the digital preservation of more than 250 Nok artefacts, the upgrading of a museum and the training of 50 Nigerian youths in advanced digital skills. He added that the project had reached more than 50,000 people across the country.
“The results speak for themselves: over 250 Nok artefacts digitally preserved, a fully upgraded museum, 50 Nigerian youth trained in cutting-edge digital skills, and 50,000 people reached nationwide,” he said.
Heffern further disclosed that the project uses Non-Fungible Token-based technology to track cultural artefacts, with the aim of preventing the illegal movement and trafficking of Nigeria’s cultural property.
He said the technology would also support cooperation between Nigerian and American law enforcement agencies in tackling criminal networks involved in the illicit trade of cultural treasures.
“This system also features Non-Fungible Token, or NFT, based artefact tracking, a digital shield protecting Nigerian heritage from a multi-billion-dollar trafficking industry, while strengthening law enforcement cooperation that protects both our nations’ security,” Heffern said.
The Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, said the launch of the immersive digital Nok heritage experience represented an important milestone in the implementation of a cultural preservation agreement between Nigeria and the US.
Musawa recalled that she signed a grant agreement with the US Embassy in February 2025 under the Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation to document and safeguard Nok terracotta artefacts in Kaduna State.
“In February last year, in Abuja, I signed a grant agreement between this ministry and the United States Embassy, under the Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation, to document and protect the Nok terracotta artefacts of Kaduna State. What we see this morning is a component of that project delivered,” she said.
The minister described the Nok civilisation as one of Africa’s earliest centres of artistic achievement, noting that its renowned terracotta works date back several centuries before the Common Era.
She said the digital preservation project would make the history of the civilisation accessible to a wider audience without replacing the need for physical conservation of cultural artefacts and heritage sites.
“It does not replace the physical work of guarding a site or conserving an object. It makes sure that work reaches people who will never visit Kaduna State, and that the record survives even where the objects themselves are at risk,” Musawa said.
She added that the Federal Government planned to adopt similar digital preservation approaches for other tangible and intangible heritage sites across Nigeria.
The Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (retd.), also stressed the importance of cultural heritage to national security, saying the concept of security goes beyond military strength.
Musa argued that a nation’s understanding of its history and cultural identity contributes to unity and social stability.
“A secure nation is also one whose people understand who they are, where they come from and what they stand for. Our history, our culture and our shared heritage strengthen national identity, build confidence in our people, foster unity across our diversity and reinforce the values that hold our nation together,” he said.
The Defence Minister, who is from Zangon Kataf in southern Kaduna State, described the Nok civilisation as an important part of Nigeria’s collective heritage.
He called for stronger measures to protect cultural treasures from theft, illegal trafficking, vandalism and neglect.
The Wheyham Foundation, the US Embassy, Yale University and the National Commission for Museums and Monuments were commended for their collaboration in using digital technology and documentary storytelling to bring the history of the Nok civilisation closer to Nigerians and international audiences.
The Chairman of the Wheyham Foundation, Yahaya Maikori, said the initiative combines conventional conservation methods with modern technology to improve heritage protection, public access and cultural tourism.
Maikori said the project had also introduced digital systems for tracking artefacts, attracted more than 50,000 people through cultural exhibitions and provided heritage preservation and digital documentation training for young Nigerians and members of local communities.
He added that the initiative would serve as a foundation for expanding digital heritage preservation and modernising museums in other parts of the country.
