Nigeria’s ambassador to Germany, Yusuf Tuggar has called on the government of Germany to fasten the process of returning the Benin Bronze wheeled away by British Colonia about 125 years ago.
Brief background to the story
In 1897, British Colonials illegally acquired 3500 – 4000 pieces of bronze from a royal palace located in Benin. Around 1,100 of such bronzes were bought in Germany with 440 being in Berlin.
- In April 2021, the German authorities and the Nigerian government developed a road map showing a gradual return of these bronzes.
- The different levels of government in the European country had agreed to return all the pieces of the Benin bronzes in their possession.
- The Minister of State for International Cultural Policy at the Federal Foreign Office, Michelle Müntefering, even agreed to resume talks in Nigeria in October 2021.
Current situation
According to Nigeria’s ambassador to Germany, Yusuf Tuggar, talks to return the artifacts are progressing although there is no signed agreement between both parties yet.