Conflict Heritage and Post-conflict Site Management: Lessons from the Northeast for the Archaeological Community

The protracted insurgency in northeastern Nigeria has resulted in extensive damage to archaeological and cultural heritage sites, displacement of heritage management personnel, and disruption of longstanding community heritage stewardship arrangements. As stability progressively returns to parts of Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe states, the archaeological and heritage management community faces the challenge of assessing damage, restoring management capacity, and situating heritage recovery within broader peacebuilding and community resilience frameworks. This study examines conflict heritage management challenges and opportunities in the northeast, drawing on documentary analysis of reported site damage, interviews with NCMM staff who were displaced and have partially returned, and comparative review of post-conflict heritage recovery programmes from Mali, Libya, Iraq, and Syria. Site damage assessment reveals that at least twenty-three registered archaeological and cultural heritage sites in Borno State sustained documented damage between 2009 and 2022, including the destruction of traditional architecture, theft of museum objects, and deliberate targeting of culturally significant sites as symbols of community identity. The study identifies heritage recovery as both a technical and a psychosocial challenge, arguing that the return of cultural objects and the restoration of ceremonial landscapes carries significance for community healing that extends well beyond the material value of the heritage itself. A phased post-conflict heritage management framework is proposed, encompassing damage assessment, emergency stabilization, community-led recovery planning, and long-term resilience-building. Keywords: conflict heritage, post-conflict management, northeast Nigeria, site damage, heritage recovery.