The Federal Government has demanded a full and unconditional return of the 1,130 Benin Bronzes that were looted in the 19th century and domiciled in German museums.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, made the demand in Berlin, Germany, during separate meetings with the German Minister of State for Culture, Prof. Monika Grutters, and the German Foreign Minister, Mr Heiko Maas.A statement on the meeting was made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday by Mr Segun Adeyemi, the Special Assistant to the President (Media) Office of the minister.
As contained in the statement, Mohammed who led the Nigerian delegation to the talks, made the demand while reacting to comments by Grutters that Germany was ready to make ‘substantial return’ of the 1,130 looted artefacts,
He stressed that return of the looted artefacts should be whole rather than substantial.
The minister also said that the issue of provenance, which had to do with the place of origin of the artefacts, should not be allowed to unduly delay the repatriation of the art works.
He contended “the fact that the looted artefacts are known as Benin Bronzes is already a confirmation of their source of origin (which is Benin).”
While meeting with the German Foreign Minister, Mohammed said there should be “absolutely no conditions attached” to the return of the artefacts, which he described as “an idea whose time has come”.
He said there was the need for the parties to commit to definite timelines for the return of the Benin Bronzes, adding that it was necessary to conclude all negotiations in a very short term.
He said the ongoing discussion between Nigeria and Germany on the return of the art works was not just the end of an era but the beginning of a new vista of stronger relations, pivoted by cultural diplomacy between both countries.
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