The National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM) has said no fewer than 1,500 Nigerian artefacts taken away will be retrieved from across the world in 2022.
Abba Tijani, director-general, NCMM, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) during a telephone interview.
Mr Tijani said these were part of the over 5,000 artefacts carted away from different locations in Nigeria, decades ago.
The director-general said the artefacts would be retrieved from Germany, Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom and other individual museums across the globe.
Terms
He noted that agreements had been reached for the return of the Benin bronzes in the British Museum of Anthropology and Archeology at the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom, as they hold the second largest collection of such artefacts.
According to him, the largest number to be retrieved in 2022 will be coming from Germany with 1,030 Nigerian artefacts.
He said the Oxford University, England was also willing to return the Benin bronzes in their collection.
” We have not been able to retrieve much because the negotiation and agreement started this year; the artefacts are expected to start coming in from 2022.
” We have written formally to other museums with our artefacts, likewise the Australian embassy has organised a zoom meeting, to be held in January where we are going to meet with all the museum directors in Australia to discuss the terms of return.
He also said they have been contacted by museums in the United States of America and other individual museums in other countries saying that they are ready to return all the Benin bronzes in their collection.
Mr Tijani said the commission was working tirelessly on preparing a conducive environment for the artefacts to be kept in an international standard.
Goal
He said that upon return of the artefacts, the NCMM would organise a series of exhibitions where they would be displayed for the general public to have a glimpse of them.
The director-general explained that this was necessary to correct most Nigerians’ misconception that these artefacts were not genuinely returned.
He said the Federal Government would decide where the retrieved artefacts would be kept after the exhibition.
” For 2021, we have been able to retrieve two artefacts from the United Kingdom, one from Cambridge University and the other from University of Aberdeen Museum.
”Also at the United States Metropolitan Museum of Arts, we retrieved three Benin artefacts and we have agreed for the return of all the Benin bronzes in the whole of the historian museum in the United States of America.
He also revealed that President Muhammadu Buhari had authorised that the artefacts retrieved from Cambridge and Aberdeen be returned to the Oba of Benin palace from where it was initially carted away.
Mr Tijani added that even though the artefacts are not physically here yet, the agency is still processing the export permit.
” The Oba of Benin is happy about this and that is the reason he is proposing a royal museum; NCMM also has a national museum in Benin which we are planning to expand to be able to accommodate these artefacts when they finally arrive.
” We will ensure wherever the artefacts are kept are of international standard, just like where they are coming from, because they are precious materials that need to be properly preserved,” he said.
(NAN)
