In a bid to digitise Nigeria’s cultural heritage, the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM) has launched the country’s first digital museum of antiquities.
This initiative is part of efforts to modernise the preservation and promotion of the nation’s cultural assets and making them more accessible to a global audience.
The unveiling of the digital museum of antiquities last week received the support of IHS Nigeria, a part of the IHS Holding Limited, one of the largest independent owners, operators, and developers of shared communications infrastructure in the world by tower count.
The Director General of NCMM, Mr Olugbile Holloway, said the platform would allow for the exploration and appreciation of Nigeria’s diverse cultural heritage, thanking IHS Nigeria for the partnership.
According to him, “The vision behind this museum is to make Nigeria’s heritage more accessible to a wider, younger, tech savvy audience.
“It is our hope that this first iteration of the digital museum will serve as a starting point for building a digital repository of real-life Nigerian antiquities that we will continue to expand over time.”
He noted that “over 200 actual antiquities from our collection at the National Museum Lagos have been 3D scanned and placed in an immersive environment. Each object is also tagged with the relevant educational material to provide viewers with more information on the object being displayed.
The Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Ms Hannatu Musawa, said this initiative not only preserves the country’s heritage, but also projects its cultural legacy onto the global stage.
“For the first time, authentic Nigerian antiquities will be showcased in an innovative digital space, making our rich history and artistic expression accessible to audiences both within and beyond our borders,” she enthused, noting that involvement of IHS Nigeria exemplifies the power of collective effort in driving innovation, fostering national pride, and enhancing the creative economy.
The chief executive of IHS Nigeria, Mr Mohamad Darwish, said, “As a company deeply rooted in Nigeria, we are excited to have played a key part in this groundbreaking effort to preserve and promote Nigeria’s cultural heritage, while also making it accessible to people around the world.”
He stated that the collaboration “reinforces our commitment to the innovative use of technology to promote education, transform communities and drive economic growth.”