US Awards $125,000 Grant to Preserve Ancient Lejja Iron-Smitting Site

The United States Government has awarded a $125,000 grant to support the conservation, digital documentation and physical preservation of the historic Lejja iron-smelting site in Nsukka local government area of Enugu State.

The grant, provided under the US Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation, will be implemented by the Centre for Memories, Enugu, through its Nchekwaba project.

The initiative was formally launched on Thursday at the National Museum in Onikan, Lagos, in the presence of the United States Consul General, Brandon Hudspeth; Enugu State Deputy Governor, Ifeanyi Ossai; representatives of the Federal Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy; the National Commission for Museums and Monuments; Smithsonian Institution and other heritage organisations.

Representing Governor Peter Mbah, Ossai described the initiative as a significant partnership in protecting Enugu State’s cultural heritage.

He disclosed that the state government was preparing an executive bill for presentation to the Enugu State House of Assembly to establish a legal framework for the protection and administration of the Lejja site.

The deputy governor also stressed the need for the Lejja community to play a central role in the preservation effort, noting that local participation would be critical to the project’s long-term sustainability.

Hudspeth said the project reflected the growing cultural partnership between Nigeria and the United States, adding that cooperation between institutions in both countries could transform cultural exchange into practical efforts to preserve heritage for future generations.

The project builds on relationships developed through Cultural Heritage Forward, a US Department of State-funded exchange programme implemented with the Smithsonian Institution to strengthen the capacity of cultural heritage professionals.

Project Lead and Executive Director of the Centre for Memories, Iheanyi Igboko, said the initiative was the result of decades of archaeological research and community efforts to protect Lejja.

According to him, the Centre for Memories did not discover the site but joined an existing network of researchers, traditional custodians and community members who have worked to understand and preserve it.

Igboko explained that Lejja's heritage extends beyond its archaeological remains, as iron has historically influenced the community’s spirituality, economy, governance and identity.

“Lejja belongs to the Igbo Omabe tradition, and its religious life is closely tied to iron and to ancestor worship,” he said.

The community contains extensive evidence of ancient iron production, including furnaces, iron ore, tuyere and large quantities of iron slag.

Recent archaeological research has provided evidence of iron smelting at Lejja dating back about 2,000 years, although some earlier radiocarbon dates have been disputed by subsequent studies. Researchers nevertheless regard the site as important to understanding the development of iron technology in southeastern Nigeria.

Igboko said the Nchekwaba project would focus on five key areas: conserving priority archaeological features, digitally documenting the site, recording endangered oral histories, building community capacity and creating digital platforms that would enable people around the world to experience Lejja’s history.

The project will involve archaeologists, conservators, members of the Lejja community and heritage institutions, including the National Commission for Museums and Monuments, ICOMOS Nigeria, the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, the Museum of West African Art and the Smithsonian Institution.

Igboko expressed hope that the initiative would contribute to the formal recognition of Lejja as a national heritage site and eventually support its consideration for UNESCO recognition.

The Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, represented at the launch, described Lejja as important evidence of Nigeria’s long history of technological innovation.

She pledged the ministry’s support for the preservation effort, noting that cultural heritage could contribute significantly to education, tourism and economic development.

Igboko said his relationship with the US Mission began about a decade ago through the Young African Leaders Initiative, while his participation in the Cultural Heritage Forward programme further strengthened his knowledge of contemporary heritage management.

He said the latest grant had provided an opportunity to apply that experience to the protection of Lejja.

“Ten years ago, YALI gave me capacity. The Cultural Heritage Forward Global Exchange Program, supported by the U.S. Department of State and the Smithsonian Institution, deepened my understanding of heritage practice.

“And now the Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation has given the Centre For Memories the chance to put that capacity to work protecting the heritage we love,” he said.

The project ultimately seeks to ensure that Lejja is preserved not only as an archaeological site but as part of Nigeria’s and humanity’s shared cultural heritage.