culture

March 17, 2026

‘The world’s memory’: why Nigeria is burying its history under a mountain in Svalbard

It is the first African country to deposit data in the Arctic World Archive, a storage facility designed to preserve records of everything from cultural practices to historical events

‘The world’s memory’: why Nigeria is burying its history under a mountain in Svalbard

TL;DR

  • Nigeria is the first African country to deposit archives in the Arctic World Archive (AWA) in Svalbard.
  • The AWA is a data storage facility designed to preserve records for up to 2,000 years using specialist Piql film.
  • The deposited Nigerian records include social and cultural history, and archives from its creative industries, drawn from 12 Nigerian organizations.
  • Initiated by historian Nze Ed Emeka Keazor, the project aims to preserve Nigeria's memory due to the underfunding and fragility of public records within the country.
  • The initiative also involves efforts to preserve Indigenous knowledge, cultural practices, and historical accounts, such as those from the Umuchieze community.
  • The AWA is transitioning to a non-profit model to subsidize organizations needing financial support, recognizing the high cost of Piql film.

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