Hannatu Musawa, Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, has opened discussions with the Swiss Government on the repatriation of Nigerian artefacts currently held in Swiss museums, including monoliths and bronze pieces.
The talks began when the Swiss Ambassador to Nigeria, Patrick Egloff, paid a courtesy visit to the minister on Friday in Abuja. Both parties also agreed to strengthen cultural cooperation and explore opportunities for collaboration in the arts and culture sectors.
The growing ties between Nigeria and Switzerland continue to open new frontiers of collaboration in culture, creativity, and tourism.
Today, I welcomed HE Patrick Egloff, the Swiss Ambassador to Nigeria, and his delegation for a constructive exchange on heritage restitution and… pic.twitter.com/dsGpPTKp0a
— Hannatu Musa Musawa (@hanneymusawa) August 29, 2025
Ambassador Egloff disclosed that the restitution process had commenced three years ago, adding that Switzerland hoped to hand over the bronze pieces through the Nigerian 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,” he said. “There is a lot happening, and we would be very interested to build more institutional cooperation with the ministry. We think this restitution would be a very good opportunity to strengthen institutional cooperation.”
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In her response, Musawa expressed appreciation to the Swiss Government for its efforts, describing the restitution as vital to Nigeria’s cultural heritage. She noted that the meeting marked a significant step in deepening cultural ties and broadening areas of bilateral cooperation.
The minister identified potential areas for collaboration, including animation, design, architecture, hospitality, and tourism.
“It is very important for us, Nigeria, to have back these artefacts and even have a wider conversation with Switzerland about what the restitution will look like,” Musawa said. “The conversation with the Minister of Culture in Switzerland is going to be very important because we will look at what our cooperation opportunities are in other areas.”
