The Nigerian Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, revealed on Thursday that the 1,130 Benin bronzes and other artefacts to be returned to the country would be on display for school tours and other individuals.
What’s more?
Other plans by the federal government include using the artefacts as a calendar to reminisce about some significant past events. Also, the Minister revealed that they would distribute the artefacts across the 53 museums in the country.
The Minister who spoke while inspecting the Millennium Tower and Cultural Centre (MTCC) under construction, with his colleague the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Mohammed Bello also disclosed that the country is seeking a $400 million investment to complete “the MTCC, a national monument and multifunctional edifice with facilities for cultural exposition, including four museums.”
In case you missed it
Artefacts reportedly taken from the Kingdom of Benin in the 19th century will be returned to Nigeria according to an agreement by the Horniman Museum in London with Nigeria.
Apart from the 1130 stolen artefacts, Nigeria is also expecting 213 artefacts from Britain, specifically from Universities of Oxford and Cambridge and 60 others from the US.
What you should know
- Germany has returned 1,100 artefacts to Nigeria.
- Britain holds the biggest collection of stolen artefacts from Nigeria.
- The returned artefacts will be stored in the Benin Museum and also in Lagos.