German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has been left red-faced after the contents of a multi-million euro Nigerian museum financed by the German taxpayers were turned over to a tribal leader contrary to initial promises by the Nigerian government.
The German Green politician had spearheaded the initiative as part of an apology for historical German colonialism in Africa. The new museum was meant to display the Benin Bronzes recently repatriated by Germany back to Nigeria.
Until the end of World War I, Germany ruled an African colonial empire encompassing Namibia and Tanzania that included small segments of present-day Nigeria.
Baerbock returned twenty-one Benin Bronzes to Nigeria in a tearful ceremony last December and apologised for Germany’s “dark colonial history” in Africa. The artefacts had originally arrived in Germany after being looted by British soldiers in 1897.
The works of art were meant to be permanently exhibited at a museum co-financed by the German government in the Nigerian capital of Abuja. Critics of the project complained that the act was pointless as Germany had never actually colonised the whole country.
The museum project was thrown into disarray after Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari transferred the ownership of the returned statues to a local tribal leader. Many pundits described the incident as a “fiasco” costing the German state millions.
The Germany Foreign Office has responded to public criticism of the restitution project saying that they were in contact with authorities in Nigeria and still hoped that the objects would be displayed.
Germany and other Western nations are under pressure to return artefacts looted during the colonial era, but some European nations are increasingly getting cold feet about the implementation of such plans.
Nigeria is regarded as one of the most corrupt countries on the African continent and experts are voicing concern that any returned artefacts are likely to only benefit elites who are likely to sell off artwork.
The scandal comes as European nations are seeking to safeguard relations with West Africa over a geopolitical schism caused by Russian involvement in the region and the collapse of French influence.
The debacle may influence any decision by British museums to return similar bronze artefacts. Oxford University is considering plans to repatriate a similar cache of items to Nigeria.
Germany is separately hoping to return 1,000 human skulls taken during the colonial period to East Africa.
