Germany Returns 20 Nigerian Bronzes |READ DETAILS
Emmanuel Igbokwe
Dec 21, 2022
More than 5,000 artifacts are estimated to have been looted from Nigeria by England when it colonized the country.
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Twenty historic bronze sculptures have been returned to Nigeria by Germany as part of efforts to address its "dark colonial past" said Annalena Baerbock.
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Annalena Baerbock, Germany's foreign minister, returned then prized cultural artifacts to Nigerian officials in a ceremony in the nations' capital, Abuja. The sculptures known as Benin bronzes were looted from the West African country by British troops when it was under colonial rule.
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Baerbock said at the event, "It was wrong to steal these bronzes. It was wrong to keep these bronzes and it is long overdue to return these bronzes to their home."
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Cast in brass and bronze with ancient designs, the sculptures were used in rituals to honour the Benin people's ancestors and rulers.
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More than 5,000 ancient artifacts are estimated to have been stolen from Nigeria by England when it was the country's colonizer - said Nigerian Authorities.
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Most of the treasures were stolen from the royal palace of the Kingdom of Benin, now part of southern Nigeria, and some ended up in the custody of other foreign governments including Germany.
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In recent years, Nigerian authorities have intensified efforts to have the looted artifacts returned. Earlier this year, Germany pledged to deliver more than 1,000 of them in the coming years.
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"Nigeria is Germany's second largest trade partner in Africa and by returning the items, it hopes to start a new chapter for future bilateral relations." said Baerbock.
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"We see this as a first step. Many bronzes have been looted and stolen, so many will come back." Baerbock said.
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She added' "This step is also important for us because we are dealing with our dark colonial past."
Nigeria's foreign affairs minister Geoffrey Onyeama said "the nation felt "deep gratitude" to Germany for returning the artifacts. Beyond their aesthetic value, they have cultural and spiritual importance to the Nigerian people."
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He called on England and other countries in possession of other artifacts to return them on moral grounds.
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Activists say there needs to be more accountability that goes beyond the return of the items, such as compensation for the losses incurred by African countries throughout years of looting.
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Victor Ehikhamenor, a Nigerian artist and advocate for reparation efforts said "We are only focusing on the physical objects. What about the digital properties of these works? Who owns those properties? And what is coming with these works?
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"What other restitution and payments do they have to make for holding these works for a long time and making money from it? He added.
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— Emmanuel Igbokwe