Nigeria, US to sign agreement to stop illegal trafficking of artefacts

The federal government and the US have agreed to a bilateral agreement prohibiting illicit trafficking of cultural property and historical artefacts.

According to NAN, Lai Mohammed, minister of information and culture, disclosed the development after meeting with Mathew Lussenhop, US acting assistant secretary of state on education and culture, in Washington DC.

The minister said the agreement, which would be signed in Nigeria soon, would prevent stolen artefacts from the country from getting to the US.

He added that talks are also ongoing on returning illegally trafficked artefacts from Nigeria that are currently housed in private museums in the US.

“We agree on the final draft of the MoU, which will be ready after vetting by our Ministry of Justice, and anytime soon, there will be a signing ceremony in Nigeria,” the minister said.

“The agreement is to prevent artefacts and cultural property that people want to illicitly ship to the U.S.

“In addition to artefact, the agreement also extends to illicit drug trafficking, and the FBI is involved.

“They have invited us, and the National Commission for Museum and Monument is working hard on this.

“In particular, there are about two or three private collectors who had voluntarily surrendered the artefacts which they believed were either illegally trafficked or stolen from Nigeria.”

The news comes barely a month after Nigeria reclaimed 1,130 Benin bronzes that were looted in the 19th century and domiciled in German museums.