Hannatu Musawa, Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, has begun talks with the Swiss Government on the repatriation of Nigerian artefacts currently kept in Swiss museums, including monoliths and bronze works.The discussions took place when Swiss Ambassador to Nigeria, Patrick Egloff, paid a courtesy visit to the minister in Abuja on Friday. Both sides also expressed readiness to deepen cultural cooperation and explore opportunities for collaboration in the creative sector.
Ambassador Egloff noted that the process of returning the artefacts began three years ago and said Switzerland hoped to hand over the bronze pieces through Nigeria’s embassy before the end of the year. “This is the first time that a Swiss ambassador is meeting with a Nigerian minister of art and culture. We would be very interested to build more institutional cooperation with the ministry, and we think this restitution would be a very good opportunity to strengthen ties,” he said.
In her remarks, Musawa thanked Switzerland for its commitment to restitution, describing the artefacts as vital to Nigeria’s cultural identity. She said the engagement marked an important step in restoring heritage and strengthening bilateral ties.
The minister added that beyond restitution, both countries could cooperate in areas such as animation, design, architecture, hospitality and tourism. “It is very important for Nigeria to have back these artefacts and also have a wider conversation with Switzerland about what restitution will look like. The upcoming talks with the Minister of Culture in Switzerland will be key to exploring cooperation opportunities in other areas,” she said.
