1000 repatriated artefacts in our collection for exhibition soon- D-G
The National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM) says over 1000 repatriated artefacts are in the collection of the commission and would soon be displayed for exhibition.
Yusuf Usman, the Director-General of NCMM made this known in an interview on Monday in Abuja.
“There are many Nigerian artefacts outside Nigeria; some were stolen during the colonial era while others during the civil war; plus our borders are porous.
“So far, we have over 1000 artefacts that have been repatriated; we are going to have an exhibition to show all the repatriated artefacts to Nigerians in the coming weeks.
“All repatriated artefacts have been documented, but most of those that were trafficked out of the country were not documented; these were stolen from shrines, illegal excavation etc,’’ Usman said.
The NCMM boss explained that the undocumented ones were not discovered before they were stolen out of the country, adding “Nigeria is the only country in the world with NOK objects’’.
On the recent handover of two repatriated NOK objects to Nigeria by the French ambassador, Denys Gauer, Usman expressed his appreciation to France for returning the objects.
He said that was the fourth time that the French government was intercepting Nigerian artefacts and returning them back to Nigeria.
He said that was the fourth time that the French government was intercepting Nigerian artefacts and returning them back to Nigeria.
“In total we have receive almost 10 objects from France in the last five years; we hope other countries in the spirit of the 1970 UNESCO Convention on protection of cultural properties would do same,’’ he said.
Usman call on other countries of the world to emulate the French government and assist countries like Nigeria in having their artifacts repatriated.
Usman call on other countries of the world to emulate the French government and assist countries like Nigeria in having their artifacts repatriated.
He tasked security agencies to redouble their efforts in protecting the country’s borders and ensuring that illicit trafficking of cultural objects were curtailed.
“ We have always said that repatriation and fight against illicit traffic of cultural objects are both political and diplomatic.
“ We have always said that repatriation and fight against illicit traffic of cultural objects are both political and diplomatic.
“ Therefore, we try to engage those countries in position of the artifacts in dialogue to see the possibility of retrieving them.
“But the most important thing is to ensure that the ones with us now remain in the country and our borders remain tight not to allow artifact to be smuggled out,’’ NCMM boss stressed.
NAN reports that the recent handover of the two NOK terracottas by the French ambassador to Nigeria was done to mark the 2016 World Museum Day in Abuja.
NAN reports that the recent handover of the two NOK terracottas by the French ambassador to Nigeria was done to mark the 2016 World Museum Day in Abuja.
According to Gauer, a French Customs investigation at the Roissy Airport on Oct. 28, 2008, intercepted two fragments of a terracotta status in a cargo from Togo to the U.S. in transit through France.