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US Govt To Spend $114,326 on Conservation of Wooden Artifacts In Nigeria

The US Embassy Nigeria, is to spend another one hundred and fourteen thousand, three hundred and twenty six dollars grant ($114,326) on wood conservation in Nigeria.

The grant is awarded to the National Commission for Museums and Monuments under the U.S. Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation, AFCP, grant.

Speaking at the signing of the project’s Memorandum of Understanding, MOU, at the National Museum, Onikan, Lagos, the US Consul-General, Mr Will Stevens explained that the AFCP grant awarded to Yale University Gallery of Arts, would fund the project, titled “Sustaining a Partnership in Wood Conservation between the National Museum, Lagos and the Yale University Art Gallery.”

The Consul General stated that through the project, the Yale University Gallery of Art would conduct training workshops on wood conservation for National Museum Lagos conservators, helping them preserve Nigerian historic artifacts through advanced storage, documentation, and treatment techniques.

“Again, this is about cultural exchange, so when they come and work with you, Yes, they are training you on what you are doing but I guarantee you that you’ll be training them on what you are doing and what works here, so that we can apply that to the work we are doing in the United States.

As we work together to preserve that cultural heritage here, we are really preserving a global kind of history” he said.

According to Mr Stevens, over one million dollars has been given to Nigeria under the AFCP, and the current grant is about the 5th or 6th the National Commission for Museums and Monuments would be benefitting in the last five years.

He said “We have done everything from museum collections, rock art museums in cross River and Jigawa States and Joint Plan of action on artefacts repatriation.The fact that Nigeria has been so successful in accessing the Ambassador Fund for Cultural Preservation over the years is a testimony of your great artists, your great restorers, your great museums and that you are doing a great job”

While expressing appreciation to the US government for the grant and other support being rendered, the Director General of the Commission, Professor Abba Issa Tijani stated that it would be of immense benefits to the nation’s cultural heritage.

Prof Tijani said “it is my belief that it would help to develop our technical capacity, enhance professionalism and impact on methodologies in the preservation of our collective cultural heritage”

The event was attended by National Museum Lagos conservators, cultural preservation advocates, museum curators and art gallery Managers.

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