NIGERIA. Lagos State: The Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP) has awarded Nigeria ten awards totaling $1 million for promoting the country’s rich cultural heritage, including rock, art, and other cultural landmarks.
The grants are part of a scheme that spans Nigeria, according to Acting U.S. Consul General Brandon Hudspeth.
During a speech at the National Museum in Lagos, Hudspeth stated that the U.S. Mission, in partnership with the National Commission for Museums and Monuments and the Trust for African Rock Art, launched a traveling exhibition titled “The Ancient Rock Art of Nigeria.”
“The main motivation for starting the exhibition is to assist in presenting and achieving a fantastic fit through Nigeria’s historical and cultural legacy. It will also act as a sign of respect regarding how the United States views the country’s culture,” Hudspeth explained.
With the help of the AFCP and other cooperation mechanisms, Hudspeth emphasized that the U.S. government will do everything possible to ensure that Nigeria’s cultural heritage is protected.
The show, which was made possible by the AFCP, aims to raise awareness about the necessity of preserving Nigerian rock art, a cultural treasure that is in danger of being lost.
“However, this gesture has aided Nigeria in achieving success in terms of partnership in preserving the country’s cultural heritage for the benefit of future generations,” Hudspeth remarked.
Professor Abba Issa Tijani, Director-General of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments, stated that the AFCP project is implemented in all Nigerian museums and produces excellent results in personnel training and other human-related issues. It has aided in the digitization of Nigeria’s cultural heritage.
“We, therefore, look to receive more productive partnership and assistance from the U.S. government in the nearest future,” Tijani added.
David Coulson, Executive Chairman of the Trust for African Rock Art, stated that the exhibition’s primary goal is to educate populations living near rock areas about rock art’s beauty and further open their minds to natural and human forces.
Coulson went on to say that now is the appropriate moment for residents in villages near the rock area to learn about preservation and the value of the rich culture that surrounds them so that they can make wise use of it.
The exhibition’s main feature was preserving rock art in the states of Cross River and Jigawa, ensuring that it is carefully documented and protected with the necessary infrastructure.
“However, the exhibition will be declared open for the public to visit in the next four weeks. Started from Lagos to the National Museum in Calabar in July, and by September, they will be at Ahmadu Bello University Zaria,” Coulson said.
Visitors can view the show in Lagos for the next four weeks before traveling to the National Museum in Calabar in July and Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria in September.
The visit to the National Museum in Lagos was a highlight of the event, which included monoliths from museum storage rooms that had not been in a public exhibit in decades, over 50 pictures, 3D reproductions, and thematic videos, among other things.
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