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 in Lagos on Thursday, 14th of August, 2025
On August 14, 2025, Director General of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM), Olugbile Holloway, unveiled Nigeria’s first digital museum of antiquities in Lagos. This is a significant cultural feat, as Nigerians now have access to antiquities from as far back as the Nok civilisation that have been 3D scanned and placed in an immersive environment to enable virtual tours from anywhere across the globe. This has been made possible through a partnership between IHS Nigeria, part of the IHS Towers Group, one of the largest independent owners, operators, and developers of shared communications infrastructure in the world by tower count, and the NCMM.
Why a digital museum, and why now?
Nigeria has always had a wealth of cultural treasures, but museums in the country remain under-visited, due to challenges including lack of accessibility, preservation, and funding. The digital museum offers a way to change this narrative, aligning with NCMM’s Digital Culture Initiative and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Globally, countries such as Greece and Egypt are digitising their heritage to safeguard artefacts and reach new audiences. Nigeria’s move is both long overdue and ambitious: to make its antiquities freely available to anyone with an internet connection.
According to IHS Nigeria CEO, Mohamad Darwish, this is about more than digitisation:
“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. The success of this partnership reinforces our commitment to the innovative use of technology to promote education, transform communities and drive economic growth.”
The partnership also reflects IHS Towers’ broader sustainability strategy, which rests on four pillars: Ethics and Governance, People and Communities, Environment and Climate Change, and Education and Economic Growth. Supporting the digital museum falls squarely into the intersection of community development and education.
Inside the digital museum
The digital museum is available at www.museum.ng. Visitors can explore more than 200 antiquities from the National Museum, Lagos, on display. The platform allows you to explore these artefacts in detail with each accompanied by a caption and educational material that explains its context, history, and significance.
Landing on the website, you’re greeted with an image of a sculpture on a black background. This immediately establishes its purpose: a gateway into Nigeria’s cultural heritage. The design is an invitation to explore.
To explore the museum, you have to click on the button which reads “Visit our digital museum”.
After this, you are taken to a landing page that loads the virtual tour. This page does not load until you use your mouse or keyboard to click the page.
A user guide is then displayed on the screen, which shows you how to navigate the museum on your mobile device or personal computer.
When you click specific artwork in the museum, there is a pop-up that describes what the art is and where it originates from. There is also a Nigerian male voiceover that reads out everything displayed on the pop-up. This, coupled with background drum sounds, immerses the user in Nigeria’s cultural heritage in a digital environment
Clicking on an artefact brings up a 3D model of the piece. You can rotate it, zoom in, and study details from every angle. This interactivity is the standout feature: it mimics the physical experience of walking around a display case. Each artefact comes with an accompanying text that explains its origin, cultural significance, and history.
The loading time is relatively smooth on desktop, though it requires a decent internet connection. On mobile devices, it works fine, though heavier images occasionally take longer to render. Given Nigeria’s average internet speeds, this could pose a barrier for some users.
The experience is the same on a mobile phone. However, you will be prompted to rotate your phone, so the experience is viewed in landscape mode.
As NCMM’s Director General, Holloway explained, “The vision behind this museum is to make Nigeria’s heritage more accessible to a wider, younger, tech-savvy audience. This first iteration will serve as a starting point for building a digital repository of real-life Nigerian antiquities.”
The platform is free, designed to democratise access to history that was previously confined to glass cases in Lagos. It’s an opportunity for millions of Nigerians, many of whom may never have stepped foot in a museum, to experience their heritage on their phones and laptops.
More than preservation
Digitising cultural heritage has ripple effects beyond safeguarding objects. It can:
- Promote education: Teachers can now incorporate Nigerian antiquities into lessons without worrying about geography or access.
- Boost tourism: Digital experiences often spark interest in physical visits. For international tourists, the digital museum becomes a gateway to Nigeria’s cultural sector.
- Shape national identity: By presenting history in modern formats, the project can foster pride and awareness among young Nigerians.
Nigeria’s Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism, and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, described it as “a transformative milestone” that “projects Nigeria’s cultural legacy onto the global stage.”
Policy, sustainability, and the future
Policy-wise, Nigeria has frameworks for museum and culture promotion, but few have leveraged technology directly. The digital museum sets a precedent: a model for how public-private partnerships can reimagine cultural policy.
For IHS Nigeria, this is part of a broader sustainability agenda. Beyond connectivity infrastructure, the company has invested in community development, environmental projects, and education initiatives. The digital museum positions IHS as a stakeholder in Nigeria’s cultural and creative economy.
