President Muhammadu Buhari has said the federal government would continue to vigorously pursue the repatriation of looted Nigeria\u2019s artefacts from abroad, including 1,130 Benin bronzes in Germany\u2019s public museums.<\/p>\n
The president gave the assurance yesterday in Abuja while receiving the Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II, accompanied by members of the Royal Court of Benin and the Board of Trustees of the Benin Royal Museum.<\/p>\n
According to a statement by presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina, the monarch was at State House to thank the president on the recent return of two important Benin bronzes to its original place of abode by the University of Cambridge and the University of Aberdeen, both in the United Kingdom, after 125 years.<\/p>\n
Speaking on the return of the artefacts, President Buhari expressed delight that it had brought immense goodwill and acclaim to Nigeria, the ancient Benin Kingdom as well as happiness to the Oba of Benin.<\/p>\n
The president noted that while it was widely acknowledged around the world that some of the best ancient arts belong to Nigeria, including those from Benin, Ife, Nok and Igbo-Ukwu, many of the beautiful works were illicitly taken away, particularly during the colonial period.<\/p>\n
Affirming that the cultural and artistic works were records of history, the president said Nigeria cannot permit the great works to become properties of others, adding that his administration had made it an important task to ensure the return of the artefacts.<\/p>\n
The assured the traditional ruler that the federal government would continue in this great cause with his support and that of other traditional rulers.<\/p>\n
\u2018\u2018In furtherance to these efforts, an agreement between Nigeria and Germany is currently being prepared. When concluded, it will signify the return to Nigeria by Germany of all the 1,130 Benin Bronzes in Germany\u2019s public museums. This will be a monumental achievement.<\/p>\n
\u2018\u2018Furthermore, on the 7th of this month, the Glasgow City Council agreed to return 17 Benin Bronzes to Nigeria. The legal issues are in the process of being sorted out.<\/p>\n
\u2018\u2018Other success stories include the return by the Netherlands in October 2020 of a 600-year-old Ife Terracotta; the return in April 2021 of a bronze piece from Mexico; as well as the repatriation, in November 2021, of two Benin Bronzes and an Ife Bronze head from the Metropolitan Museum, New York,\u2019\u2019 the president said.<\/p>\n
Buhari announced that because of the determined efforts of this administration, Nigeria is now regarded to be in the forefront globally in the struggle to repatriate illicitly-exported artefacts back to their countries of origin.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
President Muhammadu Buhari has said the federal government would continue to vigorously pursue the repatriation of looted Nigeria\u2019s artefacts from abroad, including 1,130 Benin bronzes in Germany\u2019s public museums. The…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":94459,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-94458","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n