As the nation marks its centenary celebration in 2014, industry analysts and art enthusiasts are raising concerns about the country’s missing artefacts.
The British amalgamation of Nigeria took place in 1914.
Historians and arts buyers argue that more than 6,500 artefacts worth about N300 billion had been stolen from the country since the colonial era.
They say that apart from the historical, cultural and emotional value attached to these works, they would be key to driving the tourism industry in Nigeria, as enthusiasts travel from around the world to view them in their current locations abroad. They also say that these missing works would encourage and inspire budding local artists.
Some of the stolen works include the famous Benin Bronze Works, Igbo-Ukwu Bronze Arts, Nok sculptures and other Nigerian terracotta pieces from places like Ife, Sokoto and Kwatarkwashi and Kano, among others.
In addition, eight objects are said to be on loan to the Royal Academy of Art, London, following the 1897 British punitive expedition to Benin, while thousands of artefacts worth billions of naira were stolen. These objects are domiciled in museums and galleries in Europe and America.
Abdallah Usman, director-general, National Commission for Musuems and Monuments (NCMM) said he is determined to recover artefacts stolen from the country, some of them over 100 years ago. According to him, these artefacts are located in museums across Europe and America.
“Efforts are ongoing by the commission to reclaim the stolen artefacts. We will continue to fight against illicit trafficking in Nigerian antiquities. We are not going to change our tactics wholesomely. We will continue to work with international best practice.
“First, we have decided to secure what we have in our collection. Secondly, we are policing our archaeological sites. And the safety of the objects is paramount. We will continue to dialogue with those having our objects, in order to get our works back,” he said.
Meanwhile, last year, France returned a valuable artefact stolen from Nigeria. The Esie statute, which was stolen from Nigeria in 2011 was seized by customs officials at the the Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris. The statue, which originated from Kwara State is said to be between 500 and 900 years old.
Jacques Champagne de Labriolle, the Ambassador of France to Nigeria handed over the recovered statue to Abdalla Usman. Labriolle said the statue has a great antropological value. According to him, five artefacts of Nok origin were returned to Nigeria in February this year by the French government.
Edem Duke, minister of culture, tourism and national orientation said all law enforcement agencies in the country have also stepped up their game to assist the ministry’s effort at protecting the nation’s heritage by ensuring that illicit trafficking and transfer of antiquities is eradicated.
He observed that a country like France has been helpful in retrieving some of the stolen pieces.
“As we all know, these objects tell the story of different nationalities and cultures and by taking them away, the stories of these different peoples are destroyed or distorted. So all people of good conscience should support this effort. I appeal to other countries to emulate France and return all illegally exported cultural properties to their homelands.”
Meanwhile foremost art collector, Omooba Yemisi Shyllon, presenting a paper entitled: ‘The general ineptitude to creativity in Nigeria’, at the Annual General Meeting of the Society of Nigerian Artists at The Meridien Hotel in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, said Nigeria must not relent in its effort at retrieving stolen works. While citing the examples of Ethiopia, he said Nigeria must consistently call for the return of its looted works of art by Britain and other countries.
“What I am complaining about is that when one arm of government is saying we want our works that have been looted returned, on the other hand, that same organisation is being tricked into encouraging lower and medium level civil servants with the connivance of their seniors in the civil service, for reasons best known to them, to undertake foreign trips.
“The British Museum in avoiding the consistent and increasing pressure for the return of our looted artworks has in recent past, strategically arranged some assisted, cheap and insulting trips to England for some low and middle level civil servants of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments, to carry out some curatorial works for private and public collections in England, in exchange for payment of mere pittance to the Nigerians, when compared to what they would have paid if they had used their own citizens.”
Shyllon said the art works in the British Museum are mostly those carted away from Nigeria by imperialists during the 1897 Benin massacre and colonialism.
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