By Correspondent in Lagos
The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed says the Federal government will not relent until all the country’s stolen and smuggled antiquities are repatriated from around the world.
The minister.who gave the commitment in Lagos on Saturday during a news conference to update Nigerians on government’s efforts in that regard, said,though “the work ahead remains tough and daunting, but we will not relent until we have repatriated all our stolen and smuggled antiquities.”
The minister,who recalled the launch launch of the Campaign For The Return and Restitution of Nigeria’s Looted/Smuggled Artifacts from around the world in November 28,2019, promised all those that stole Nigeria’s artifacts that “we are coming for them, using all legal and diplomatic instruments available.”
According to him, the artefacts are so cherished all over the world, adding that Nigeria realizes that if they are returned to the country and properly exhibited within and outside its shores, “under our control, they stand to increase the influx of tourists to our nation and earn us good money.”
He described the antiquities as timeless and priceless pieces of work, adding that they formed an important part of the nation’s past past and its heritage resource, stressing that allowing them to sit in the museums of other nations robbed Nigerians of their history.
He noted that whereas, not everyone in possession of the artefacts was willing to return them, Nigerian remained undeterred as it had deployed all legal and diplomatic means to repartriate them with successes
The minister reeled out federal government’s success in repariating such antiquities since that press conference in 2019:
“- In October 2020, The Netherlands returned a highly-valued 600-year-old Ife Terracotta.
“-In March 2021, the University of Aberdeen in Scotland agreed to return a Benin Bronze from its collections.” We shall take possession of this in October this year.
-In April 2021, we received a bronze piece from Mexico.
“-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.
“These antiquities consist of two important Benin Bronzes and an exquisite Ife Bronze head.
“We are currently before the Intergovernmental Committee for Promoting the Return of Cultural Property to their countries of Origin or its Restitution
“In case of Illicit Appropriation (ICPRCP) in Paris, where we have instituted a claim against a Belgian who wanted to auction an Ife Bronze head valued at $5 million, at least.
” This Ife Bronze antiquity has been seized by the London Metropolitan Police, pending the decision on who the true owner is. Of course, we all know that the true owner is Nigeria,”he said.
Mohammed expressed delight that the most remarkable progress in the nation’s quest to repatriate its looted artefacts had been recorded in Germany, which is currently working with Nigeria for the repatriation of 1,130 Benin Bronzes to Nigeria.
The minister,who recalled that he recently led a high-level Nigerian delegation to Berlin, Germany, to iron out the modalities for the repatriation, said the delegation met with Prof. Monika Grutters, the German Minister of State for Culture,responsible for antiquities.
Others the delegation also met with, he said, were: the German Foreign Minister, Mr. Heiko Maas, the Secretary of State in the German President’s office, Mr. Stephen Steinlein, and Harmann Parzinger, President of the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation, the centre of the German culture establishment, and his team anong where the meeting agreed that “there is no going back on the issue of returning the Benin Bronzes”.
According to the minister, the meeting also resolved that provenance research on the Benin Bronzes cannot and must not delay their return, since the origin of Benin objects is not a subject of dispute as such objects are only associated with the Benin Kingdom.
“On the German authorities’ proposal to return a ‘substantial part’ of the Benin Bronzes. I have asserted the stand of the Nigerian government by demanding full and unconditional release of the artefacts.
” Concerning recording the artefacts in 3D formats for posterity and academic sake under the ‘digitalbenin’ project of which we are a part.
“I have told the Germans that this work of digitalizing the Benin Bronzes must not delay the return of the artefacts and that issues related to copyrights ownership and other rights over the digitalized objects will be discussed soon.
“We agreed to have a definitive timeline for the repatriation of the artefacts because Nigeria is tired of an indefinite timeline.
“Therefore, we resolved that the agreement on the repatriation should be signed in December 2021 and the repatriation should be concluded by August 2022. I told the Germans that Nigeria is averse to attaching pre-conditions to repatriating the Benin Bronzes.
” These are our properties, do not give us conditions for releasing them. We therefore agreed that the release will be unconditional, neither will it be staggered,” Mohammed further said.
The minister, however, said that the meetings in Germany were not all about repatriation of the nation’s artefacts.
According to him “we have decided that the repatriation of the artefacts should not be the end of an era but the beginning of a new vista of stronger relations, pivoted by cultural diplomacy, between Nigeria and Germany.”
“In this regard, there are other benefits accruing to Nigeria from the ongoing talks. There will be archaeological training for Nigerians.
“The Nigerian side and the German side agreed to Nigeria’s proposal to use the repatriated artefacts and other works of art to inspire Nigeria’s Creative Industry towards realizing its high potential. For this and other purposes, it was agreed that the Germans will facilitate the establishment of an academy in Nigeria.
On the controversy over the possession of the artefacts when they return to from Germany, he said, ” let me state clearly here that, in line with international best practice and the operative Conventions and laws, the return of the artefacts is being negotiated bilaterally between the national governments of Nigeria and Germany.
” Nigeria is the entity recognized by international law as the authority in control of antiquities originating from Nigeria. The relevant international Conventions treat heritage properties as properties belonging to the nation and not to individuals or subnational groups.
“For example, the 1970 UNESCO Convention, in its Article 1, defines cultural property as property specifically designated by that nation. This allows individual nations to determine what it regards as its cultural property.
“Nevertheless, the Nigerian state – through the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture and the National Commission for Museums and Monuments – has been working assiduously,over the past years, to repatriate our looted artefacts carried along our important
traditional institutions and state governments.
“The Federal government will take possession of these antiquities, because it is its duty to do so, in line with the extant laws. But we have always exercised this right
in cognizance of that culture that produced the art works. That is why the Ministry of Information and Culture and the National Commission for Museums and Monuments have always involved both the Edo State government and the Royal Benin Palace in discussions and negotiations that have now resulted in the impending return of these antiquities.”
“We are not just involved in the repatriation of Benin artefacts. We are also working on repatriating Ife Bronzes and Terracotta, Nok Terracotta, Owo Terracotta, the arts of the Benue River Valley, the Igbo Ukwu, the arts of Bida, the arts of Igala, Jukun etc,”he added.
