RECOVERING NIGERIA'S TERRACOTTA - Afrikanet.info

impression created that Nigeria is not properly organized to protect its cultural
artefacts from predatory Westerners and their helpers thus still remains.
Is this a case where one language is used when dealing with African
collaborators but for the general public, an entirely different language is used
which creates different, often misleading, impressions If we look at the Spiegel
article, we could think only the Germans and Austrians were interested in Nok
culture and the puzzles it presents. Nigerians are totally absent from the article.
Not even a mention of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments
can be found. Moreover, the Nigerian Police is presented as not having the right
or ability to visit the area which is described as being under the tight control of a
local potentate on friendly terms with the Europeans.
Do we have here the familiar pattern where Africans lead Europeans to the
source of the river or the mountain and are perhaps materially compensated for
their efforts But who turns out to be the discoverer of the river or the
mountain Whose name is forever linked to the discovery Recognition in
scientific publications is not enough. How many people read such publications
Unless Africans insist energetically, loudly and openly for equal general public
recognition in such enterprises, this game will go on forever. Even if such
projects were financed by European entities this should not lead to their
complete control over the projects and the dissemination of information thereon.
In the context of the present dispute over looted Nigerian terracotta, we recall
the 2002 case of the Nigerian Nok terracotta which were looted and eventually
turned up at the Musée de Quai Branly, Paris. The French had bought the three
Nok and Sokoto terracotta knowing fully well that they must have been looted
and illegally exported from Nigeria since the objects were on the Red List of
International Council of Museums (ICOM).(3) The intervention of ICOM was
necessary to preserve Nigeria’s ownership of the terracotta. The arrangement
between Nigeria and France to loan the artefacts for a renewable period of 25
years raised doubts and scepticism about the will to enforce the observance of
laws prohibiting illicit traffic in artefacts. (4) Moreover, the text of the curious
agreement does not appear to have been published.
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