President Bola Tinubu has congratulated the Director-General of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Olugbile Holloway, on his inclusion in the inaugural TIME100 Art list recognising 100 influential figures shaping the future of the art world.
Tinubu said Holloway’s recognition reflected the efforts of the NCMM in recovering Nigeria’s cultural artefacts and strengthening institutions responsible for preserving the nation’s heritage.
In a statement issued on Thursday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the President commended Holloway for his role in facilitating the return of stolen Nigerian artefacts and improving the country’s cultural institutions.
The statement said Holloway, who was appointed in March 2024, had worked with the Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II, to develop a framework for the retrieval, conservation and exhibition of returned Benin artefacts.
According to the statement, the framework had strengthened Nigeria’s position in discussions with foreign governments, universities and museums over the return of the country’s cultural property.
Under Holloway’s leadership, the commission secured the return of 119 Benin Bronzes from the Netherlands and the legal transfer of 116 Benin Bronzes from the University of Cambridge.
The statement added that 18 Benin Bronzes and four Ikom monoliths were also recently returned from Switzerland.
Tinubu further praised the commission for establishing Nigeria’s first digital museum of antiquities, with more than 200 objects from the National Museum, Lagos, digitally scanned in three dimensions and made available on an immersive online platform.
He also highlighted the renovation of the National Museum, Lagos, which included upgraded galleries, modern display systems and improved facilities for the preservation and presentation of Nigeria’s cultural heritage.
The President described the return of Nigeria’s cultural property as an important act of historical justice and a restoration of the dignity and memory of the communities from which the artefacts were taken.
Tinubu commended Holloway for his diplomacy and institutional leadership, while congratulating the commission’s staff on the international recognition.
He urged the NCMM to maintain its efforts to recover Nigeria’s cultural property, improve museums across the country and make the nation’s history more accessible to younger Nigerians.
