The Horniman Museum and Gardens received the request from the Nigeria’s National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM) in January 2022 and has since undertaken detailed research of its objects from Benin to establish which are in the scope of the request.

We look forward to a productive discussion on loan agreements and collaborations between the NCMM and the Horniman.

Abba Tijani, Director-General of Nigeria’s NCMM

The Horniman consulted with community members, visitors, schoolchildren, academics, heritage professionals and artists based in Nigeria and the UK. All of their views on the future of the Benin objects were considered, alongside the provenance of the objects. “It is both moral and appropriate to return their ownership to Nigeria,” said Eve Salomon, Chair of the Trustees of the Horniman Museum and Gardens. “The Horniman is pleased to be able to take this step and we look forward to working with the NCMM to secure longer term care for these precious artifacts.”

What are the ‘Benin Bronzes’

According to the British Museum, the ‘Benin Bronzes’ (made of brass and bronze) are a group of sculptures which include elaborately decorated cast plaques, commemorative heads, animal and human figures, items of royal regalia, and personal ornaments. They were created from at least the 16th century onwards in the West African Kingdom of Benin, by specialist guilds working for the royal court of the Oba (king) in Benin City.

One element of the history of the Kingdom of Benin represented on the brass plaques and sculptures is the kingdom’s early contacts with Europeans. Trade and diplomatic contacts between Benin and Portugal developed on the West African coast from the 15th century. These early connections included Portuguese and Benin emissaries voyaging between the capitals and courts of Benin and Portugal as these two powers negotiated their new relationship.

The Kingdom also supported guilds working in other materials such as ivory, leather, coral and wood, and the term ‘Benin Bronzes’ is sometimes used to refer to historic objects produced using these other materials. There are over 900 objects from the historic Kingdom of Benin in the British Museum’s collection.

The evidence is very clear that these objects were acquired through force, and external consultation supported our view

Eve Salomon, Chair of the Trustees of the Horniman Museum and Gardens

The Benin Bronzes come from Benin City, the historic capital of the Kingdom of Benin, a major city state in West Africa from the medieval period. Benin City became part of the British Empire from 1897 to 1960 and is now located within the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The modern city of Benin (in Edo State) is the home of the current ruler of the Kingdom of Benin, His Royal Majesty Oba Ewuare II. Many of the rituals and ceremonies associated with the historic Kingdom of Benin continue to be performed today.

The Charity Commission, as the regulator of the charitable sector, endorsed the decision of the Horniman trustees on 5 August. The Horniman will now discuss with NCMM the process for the formal transfer of ownership, and the possibility of retaining some objects on loan for display, research and education.

According to CNN, last year the French government returned 26 artworks seized from Benin in 1892. And the University of Aberdeen and Cambridge University’s Jesus College returned two Benin bronzes in February of this year. The Smithsonian Institute’s National Museum of African Art in Washington, DC, removed all of its Benin bronzes from display in November of 2021 and announced plans to return them.

L’article UK’s Horniman Museum and Gardens to return Benin Bronzes to Nigeria est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Every year, the rainy season hits Nigeria between March and November. This phenomenon is not unusual, but in July 2021, the main business district of Lagos in southwestern Nigeria was hit hard by one of the worst floods in recent years.

The floods that the people of Lagos have experienced are in fact only the first signs. It is the rise in sea level that is worrying, because by the end of the century, the city could no longer be habitable. The city of more than 24 million people is located on the country’s coast.

Photos and videos posted to social media showed vehicles inundated with water after rain that would not stop. CNN reports that the floods paralyze economic activity at an estimated cost of around $4 billion per year. Nigeria’s hydrological agency NIHSA has predicted more catastrophic flooding in September, which is often the peak of the rainy season.

By 2100, areas where 200 million people currently live could be permanently below the high tide line.

Climate Central

According to a study by the research group Climate Central, low-lying coastal cities could be permanently submerged by 2100. The study’s findings indicate that affected areas could sink below the high tide line if sea levels continue to rise.

“Due to heat-trapping pollution from human activities, sea level rise could push chronic flooding higher than the land where 300 million people currently live within three decades,” the study states. “By 2100, areas where 200 million people currently live could be permanently below the high tide line.”

Currently, global forecasts indicate that sea levels are expected to rise by more than 2 meters by 2100, while the city of Lagos is less than 2 meters above sea level. A similar situation is observed along the rest of the Nigerian coastline.

Another study conducted by the Institute of Development Studies indicates that this phenomenon is also amplified by inadequate and poorly maintained drainage systems and uncontrolled urban growth. Added to this is coastal erosion.

According to CNN, an entirely new coastal city called ‘Eko Atlantic’ is being built on land reclaimed from the Atlantic Ocean. It will be protected from rising waters by an 8-kilometer-long wall made from concrete blocks.

L’article Lagos. It may soon be impossible to live in Africa’s most populous city est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.