Lejja Iron-Smelting Site receives $125,000 US grant for preservation

The United States has awarded a $125,000 grant through the Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP) to the Center for Memories in Enugu, Nigeria. The funding will support the ‘Nchekwaba: Lejja Iron-Smelting’ project, which aims to provide physical preservation and three-dimensional digital documentation of the historic Lejja Iron-Smelting Site.

Dating back to approximately 2000 BC, the archaeological site in Enugu State serves as evidence of ancient technological innovation and iron-working in Nigeria. The project is led by Iheanyi Igboko and is part of the Cultural Heritage Forward programme, a partnership between the U.S. Department of State and the Smithsonian Institution that connects Nigerian museum professionals with Smithsonian experts.

U.S. Consul General Brandon Hudspeth described the site as a record of technological sophistication and noted that the grant is part of a broader U.S.-Nigeria partnership. Over the last five years, the United States has invested approximately $1.2 million in cultural heritage preservation projects in Nigeria.