The United States has awarded a $125,000 cultural preservation grant to the Centre for Memories in Enugu to support conservation and digital documentation of the historic Lejja Iron Smelting Site.
The site is believed to date to around 2000 BC and is regarded as evidence of early iron technology and metallurgical knowledge in what is now South East Nigeria.
The grant was awarded through the United States Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation.
It will support physical conservation work and three dimensional digital documentation intended to preserve the site and make its historical significance more accessible to future generations.
The project, titled Nchekwaba: Lejja Iron Smelting, is also expected to document oral histories, traditional knowledge and community practices connected with the site.
The United States Embassy said the initiative formed part of a broader cultural partnership with Nigeria.
American cultural preservation support for Nigeria has reached about $1.2 million over the past five years.
United States Consul General Brandon Hudspeth launched the project at a ceremony in Lagos.
He described Lejja as a four thousand year old story of ingenuity, innovation and technological sophistication.
Hudspeth said the American role was not to discover Lejja but to help connect existing community knowledge, research and preservation efforts with stronger institutional and technical support.
Centre for Memories Executive Director Iheanyi Igboko said the project would preserve both physical remains and the living traditions that give the site cultural meaning.
The project also builds on the Cultural Heritage Forward programme, which links Smithsonian experts with Nigerian museum professionals and community based heritage practitioners.
Nigeria and the United States also operate under a Cultural Property Agreement signed in 2022.
The agreement restricts the importation into the United States of certain Nigerian archaeological and ethnological materials in an effort to combat looting and illicit trafficking.
The two governments have begun discussions on extending the arrangement for another five years.
American officials said the preservation programme could also support tourism, community development and local economic opportunities around heritage sites.
