The Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy has commenced talks with the Swiss government on cultural cooperation and the repatriation of Nigerian artifacts currently housed in Swiss museums, including monolits and bronze pieces.
During a courtesy visit to Minister Hannatu Musa Musawa Esq., in Abuja on Friday, the Swiss Ambassador H.E. Patrick Felix Egloff expressed Switzerland’s willingness to enter into bilateral agreements and cultural diplomacy.
“This is the first time that a Swiss ambassador is meeting with a Nigerian Minister of Art and Culture. There is a lot happening, and we would be very interested to build more institutional cooperations with the ministry, and we think this restitution would be a very good opportunity to strengthen institutional cooperation”, Ambassador Egloff said.
The Ambassador stated that the process of returning the artifacts started three years ago, and they hope to hand over the bronze pieces through the Nigerian Embassy by the end of the year.
Responding, Minister Musawa thanked the Swiss government for their efforts, emphasizing the importance of retrieving the artifacts for Nigeria’s cultural heritage.
She said that the meeting marked an important step in strengthening cultural ties and exploring new areas of cooperation between both governments.
Minister Musawa highlighted potential cooperation opportunities in areas like animation, design, architecture, hospitality, and tourism.
“It is very important for us Nigeria to have back these artifacts and even have a wider conversation with Switzerland about what the restitution will look like. The conversation with the Minister of Culture in Switzerland is going to be very important because
we would look at what our cooperation opportunities are in other areas, especially in areas like animation, design, architecture, hospitality and tourism”.
Both parties agreed to continue discussions and explore opportunities for collaboration in the arts and cultural sectors.
The meeting builds on existing diplomatic efforts between Nigerian and Swiss officials and demonstrates the commitment of both countries to enhancing their cultural relationship.
