Nigeria will loan seven of the 29 repatriated Benin Bronzes to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art (NMAfA) for the next five years.

Abba Tijjani, director-general of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM), disclosed this in an interview on Wednesday in Washington DC.

NMAfA, in a joint ceremony, collectively transferred ownership of 29 Benin bronzes to NCMM on Tuesday.

The director-general said the ceremony was important for Nigeria because the country wanted to tell the world that some countries had responded positively to repatriating stolen artefacts from Nigeria.

Mr Tijani said Nigeria was ready to partner with any museum or institution willing to repatriate the country’s artefacts to give some of those objects on loan for a certain period.

According to him, Nigeria is willing to give some of the objects on loan in such cases that will allow a display in moral and ethical attitude.

The repatriation is part of a worldwide movement by cultural institutions to return artefacts that were during colonial wars.

In August, the Horniman Museum and Gardens in London announced that it would transfer a collection of 72 Benin Bronzes to the Nigerian government.

He said Nigeria had in July signed an agreement with the government of Germany to repatriate 1,130 Benin Bronzes, adding that some of them would be shipped to Nigeria before the end of the year.

Similarly, in an interview, Ngaire Blankenberg, director of NMAfA, said the Museum had transferred ownership of 29 Benin Bronzes to NCMM.

Ms Blankenberg said the decision was based on ethical considerations and to establish trust with those considered to be the museum’s constituents and community, which are Africans and African diasporic people all over the world.

“It’s important that everyone feels confident that what we have in our museum has been procured ethically, and that hasn’t been because of violence against other people or other Africans.

“It’s also important to us that because the bronze is an artwork, you know, taken through looting in 189, it was a colonial conquest. It was violent, it was hurtful, that we try to rectify that wrong,’’ she said.

The director said the NMAfA had discussed with the NCMM to retain a few of the works of art on long-term loans, and the commission had indicated the terms of the loan.

“The reason for that is that the Royal Court and the Nigerian government feel quite strongly that these are such powerful works of art.

“They feel that the work can also act as ambassadors not only for Nieria, but for the Royal Court of Benin into the broader world,’’ Ms Blankenberg said. 

(NAN)