On 7 November 2025, Nigeria launched a national initiative to strengthen the protection of museum collections facing growing risks from riots, protests, and other emergencies. Supported by UNESCO’s Heritage Emergency Fund, the initiative reinforces Nigeria’s commitment to safeguarding irreplaceable cultural heritage within the national museum system and ensuring its preservation for future generations.
The launch was accompanied by a stakeholder engagement meeting that raised awareness among senior leadership from the Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Fire Service, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, and the National Emergency Management Agency on heritage-related emergency preparedness. Capacity-building workshops followed in Port Harcourt in November and Calabar in December 2025, training thirty participants drawn from museum staff, emergency responders, and civil society organizations. These efforts enhanced coordination and preparedness across institutions responsible for protecting cultural heritage during crises.
As part of the initiative, national museums in Ilorin, Calabar, and Port Harcourt were equipped with improved security infrastructure, including closed-circuit cameras, motion sensors, LED monitors, and reinforced doors and gates to protect storage areas, galleries, and conservation laboratories. Museum staff reported that these upgrades significantly reduced vulnerabilities to theft and burglary while strengthening overall monitoring and response capacity.
This initiative builds on an earlier phase implemented in 2023, which focused on strengthening emergency response capacities in museums located in Lagos, Enugu, Kano, and Jos. The second phase, covering 2025 to 2026, expands the scope to additional museums and aims to enhance national capacity to prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies affecting cultural heritage. The project is led by the People and Culture Protection Initiative in close collaboration with the National Commission for Museums and Monuments and key national and state emergency agencies.
Through targeted training, officers from security and emergency services are introduced to the value of cultural heritage and practical methods for protecting it during emergencies. Museum professionals highlighted that the programme has transformed relationships with first responders, creating knowledgeable partners capable of responding effectively to heritage-related risks.
Overall, the initiative combines capacity building, network strengthening, enhanced physical security, public awareness, and long-term risk mitigation planning. Supported by international donors through UNESCO’s Heritage Emergency Fund, the programme represents a significant step toward building a resilient system for safeguarding Nigeria’s cultural heritage in times of crisis.
