IHS Nigeria Supports the National Commission for Museums and Monuments to Launch Nigeria’s First Digital Museum of Antiquities

Photo Caption: (L–R) Representative of the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Oladoyin Ayenitaju; Chief Executive Officer, IHS Nigeria, Mohamad Darwish; Honourable Minister of Arts, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa; Director General, National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM), Olugbile Holloway; and Group Chief Human Resources Officer, IHS Towers, Ayotade Oyinlola, at the launch of Nigeria’s first digital museum of antiquities in partnership with IHS Nigeria, held in Lagos on Thursday, 14 August 2025.

IHS Nigeria, part of the IHS Holding Limited (NYSE: IHS) (“IHS Towers”) group—one of the largest independent owners, operators, and developers of shared communications infrastructure in the world by tower count—and the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM) are pleased to announce the launch of Nigeria’s first digital museum of antiquities, marking a significant step toward digitizing Nigeria’s cultural heritage.

Unveiled today by the Director General of the NCMM, Olugbile Holloway, this landmark initiative represents a major milestone in modernizing the preservation and promotion of Nigeria’s cultural assets, making them more accessible to both local and global audiences.

The digital museum is the first major project under the NCMM’s Digital Culture Initiative. Aligned with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, the initiative provides a platform for the exploration and appreciation of Nigeria’s diverse cultural heritage. It also underscores the impact of public-private partnerships and highlights IHS Nigeria’s commitment to sustainability, cultural preservation, and digital education.

Mohamad Darwish, CEO of IHS Nigeria, commented:

“Today is a proud moment for us as we see the digital museum come alive. As a company deeply rooted in Nigeria, we are excited to have played a key role in this groundbreaking effort to preserve and promote Nigeria’s cultural heritage, while also making it accessible to people around the world.

This partnership with the National Commission for Museums and Monuments and the Federal Ministry of Arts, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy reinforces our commitment to the innovative use of technology to promote education, transform communities, and drive economic growth. I look forward to seeing how this will help evolve museum culture in Nigeria and enhance global appreciation for Nigeria’s rich history.”

Hannatu Musawa, Honourable Minister of Arts, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, said:

“This historic event marks a transformative milestone in the preservation, promotion, and accessibility of Nigeria’s vast cultural heritage. 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.

This initiative not only safeguards our heritage but also projects Nigeria’s cultural legacy onto the global stage.

This remarkable achievement would not have been possible without the valuable partnership between the NCMM and IHS Nigeria. Their shared vision and commitment to cultural advancement have set a new benchmark for public-private collaboration. This partnership exemplifies the power of collective effort in driving innovation, fostering national pride, and enriching the creative economy.

I urge all Nigerians and the international community to embrace this new era of digital cultural engagement, as we continue to celebrate and safeguard our national treasures for generations to come.”

Olugbile Holloway, Director General of the NCMM, added:

“The launch of this digital museum represents a groundbreaking idea finally brought to life. The vision behind the museum is to make Nigeria’s heritage more accessible to a wider, younger, tech-savvy audience.

We hope this first iteration will serve as a foundation for building a comprehensive digital repository of real-life Nigerian antiquities.

In this initial phase, over 200 artifacts from our collection at the National Museum in Lagos have been 3D scanned and placed in an immersive environment. Each object is tagged with relevant educational content to provide viewers with context and insight.

I would like to sincerely thank IHS Nigeria for their invaluable partnership and support in bringing this vision to fruition, and I look forward to future collaborations to further showcase Nigeria’s rich cultural heritage to an even broader audience.”

The digital museum is free to all visitors and can be accessed through the National Commission for Museums and Monuments’ website at www.museum.ng.