The Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET) in New York has returned three Benin and Ife Artefacts to the Nigerian consulate-general.
Abba Tijjani, director-general of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM), and Lot Egopija, consul-general of Nigeria in New York, accepted the relics, which included two 16th-century Benin brass plaques and one 14th-century Ife brass head.
Tijjani praised the museum for returning the Benin and Ife artefacts to Nigeria after signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with them.
He urged other museums with Nigerian artifacts to emulate the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s example.
“We are looking forward to collaborating with the MET because we cannot exist in an island, for example, the museum cannot be working in Nigeria without collaborating with partners outside the country,” he said.
Tijjani added;
“So, we are looking forward to collaborating with MET now that we are friends and we understand each other and we want to see how we can work together.”
The NCMM DG further stressed that;
“We have about 52 museums across the country under the commission, and we have 65 monuments and sites and staff working in the museums will require modern training.”
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