Nigerians artefacts may remain in France for 25 years
(Wednesday, February 20, 2002)
By Chuka Nnabuife
Guardian Newspapers, Lagos, Nigeria
| EFFORT to get rid of illegal trafficking of Nigerian antiquities is yielding result. Culture and Tourism Minister, Ms Boma Bromillow-Jack will soon sign an agreement with her French counterpart, Catherine Tasca, acknowledging Nigeria's ownership of three terracotta statues illegally taken by France. But the antiquities, according to a source in Paris, will remain at the Quai Branly Museum for the next 25 years. Although, the return of the artefacts is the ultimate desire of Nigerian artistes, the fact that Nigerian ownership of the treasures has been acknowledged, is seen as positive development in the struggle to stamp out smuggling of historical materials from Nigeria. Apart from the agreement, which has been confirmed by the French delegate Minister for European Affairs, Pierre Moscovici, source said that French intellectuals and artists had vehemently condemned the acquisition of those statues on the European arts market. Their argument is that such acquisition would encourage the looting of African archaeological heritage. Interestingly, however, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) supported the return of the statues to Nigeria, arguing that "they had been fraudulently taken away from the country." Campaign against plundering of artefacts reached peak in June last year when an international publication, Time magazine, featured the unwholesome practice in one of its editions. According to the magazine's report, the cost of Nigerian artefacts smuggled into homes, galleries and museums in Europe and North America run into several millions. The list of stolen materials included terracotta statues, gigantic masks, ivory and bronze sculptures. An international police organisation, INTERPOL, estimated the worth in underground trade of the cultural property to $4.5 billion a year, up from $1 billion a year, which it was worth in the 1990s. Countries like France, the Netherlands, United Kingdom and U.S.A. were typically fingered as blossoming grounds for the trade. Former French President Jacques Chirac was once discovered to be in possession of three Nok terracotta sculptures. He was said to have purchased the artefacts from a Belgian shadow art dealer, in 1999 at the cost of $400,000. The pieces were part of an ostentatious art exhibition, which he hosted while in office. At the Year 2000 UNESCO Conference, Colin Renfrew, a Cambridge Professor of archaeology, condemned the French government's condonement of the illicit looting of Nigerian antiquities. Speaking at the 30th anniversary of the international convention against illicit trafficking on cultural goods, Renfrew frowned at the France attitude to Nigerian treasures and on the artefacts, at Quai Branly Museum. "It is regrettable," he said, "that a head of state took it upon himself to act in a dishonourable manner, contrary to international law with regard to these artefacts." But officials of the museum, then did not find anything wrong in keeping the pieces in their display. One German Viatte of the museum claimed they were objects bought "from private sellers." The current statement by Moscovici, at least represents an official acceptance by France that there is some illegality in the circumstances surrounding the deal. In fact, France has began moves to "fill the existing gap" in its laws that condone the practice. It also intends to adopt the international convention on the smuggling of antiquities, which UNESCO has repeatedly asked the authorities to uphold.
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