Minister reiterates efforts to repatriate looted Nigerian artefacts
By Cynthia Okere
The Nigerian government has reiterated its efforts to repatriate the country’s looted and smuggled artefacts from around the world.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed who was speaking in Lagos during a press conference said that the artefacts will boost tourism that will help in the economic recovery of the country if they are returned to Nigeria and properly exhibited within and outside the country.
According to the Minister, the Government is working in partnership with some organisations to provide museum infrastructure and set up a Museum Academy when the artefacts are returned.
”These artefacts are so cherished all over the world and we realize that if they are returned to Nigeria and properly exhibited within and outside the country under our control, they stand to increase the influx of tourists to our nation and earn us good money.
“Of course, these timeless and priceless pieces of work are an important part of our past, our history, our heritage resource, and allowing them to sit in the museums of other nations robs us of our history”. He said.
The Minister explained that their efforts since 2019 when government launched the campaign for the return and restitution of Nigeria’s looted/smuggled artefacts from around the world have yielded positive results as the country has in October 2020, received a highly-valued 600-year-old Ife Terracotta from the Netherlands, a bronze piece from Mexico in April 2021 and a Benin Bronze which the University of Aberdeen in Scotland agreed to return in March 2021 from its collections amongst others.
”The University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom has also agreed to return a disputed Benin artefact. We will soon commence the procedure for the repatriation of this highly-valued piece. We have also secured a date in October 2021 for the repatriation of antiquities from the Metropolitan Museum in New York. We are currently before the Intergovernmental Committee for promoting the return of cultural property to countries of origin. The most remarkable progress has been recorded in Germany, which is currently working with us for the repatriation of 1,130 Benin Bronzes.” he addedadded.
The Director General National Commission for Museum and Development, Prof. Abbah Isah said that Nigeria has so many experts including curators, documentation officers, archeologists, exhibition officers, ethnographers amongst other technical teams that will help authenticate the artefacts when they are returned to ensure that the replica of the artefacts are not brought to the country.
Emmanuel Ukoh
