The nigerian government has demanded what it described “a full and unconditional” return of 1,130 benin bronzes that were looted from Nigeria in the 19th century and domiciled in museums in Germany.
Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, made the demand in Berlin, Germany on July 6, during separate meetings with the German minister of state for culture, Monika Grutters, and the German foreign minister, Heiko Maas.
A statement issued by the special assistant to the minister (media), segun adeyemi, said Mohammed was reacting to comments by Grutters that Germany was ready to make “substantial return” of the 1,130 looted artefacts.
She assured her Nigerian counterpart that the 1,130 artefacts “would be returned to Nigeria from the beginning of 2022”.
Grutters said that the fact that Germany has twice sent delegations to Nigeria for talks over the planned repatriation “is an indication that both sides have moved beyond mere talks”.
She said all the museums in Germany that are holding benin bronzes have agreed to cooperate.
Mohammed said the ongoing discussion between Nigeria and Germany on the return of the art works is 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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