In Glasgow, Nigeria Holds Talks for Repatriation of Cultural Artefacts from Scotland

Nigeria once again, has taken another step forward in efforts to secure the repatriation of her antiquities from foreign countries holding on to her collections.

This time around, the stage is set in the city of Glasgow, Scotland, where Officials of Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum received the official delegation of Nigeria, led by Prof. Abba Isa Tijani to discuss the repatriation of 19 Benin antiquities to Nigeria.

Discussions on the return of these precious objects were initiated earlier in the year when Glasgow City Council’s City Administration Committee approved of a recommendation made by the cross-working group for repatriation to return the items to Nigeria after having established that the artefacts which were acquired as gifts, bequests and purchases from auction houses were actually taken from sacred sites and ceremonial buildings during the British Punitive Expedition of 1897.

The NCMM Director-General who led the Nigerian Delegation believes that ‘by addressing past wrongs, the returns will help to strengthen existing relations with the descendant Communities.

Scotland is joining other well-meaning Nations like The United States of America, Britain, Germany and France in positively responding to the Prof. Abba TIJANI led Administration’s vigorous pursuit of repatriation of Nigeria’s Antiquities globally.