Senate Launches Historic Push to Reclaim Looted Heritage and Address Colonial Wrongs
By Pan Afric Reporters NASS Abuja, June 26, 2025
In a bold and unprecedented move, the Nigerian Senate has launched a sweeping effort to confront centuries-old injustices inflicted by slavery, colonialism, and systemic exploitation with a focus on reclaiming looted cultural artefacts and securing reparative justice for affected communities.
The Senate Committee on Reparations and Repatriations, chaired by Senator Ned Munir Nwoko, has taken the monumental mission of identifying and redressing historical wrongs, while pursuing the return of Nigeria’s stolen heritage scattered across museums and private collections worldwide.
“The work before us is not symbolic or ceremonial,” said Senator Nwoko during the committee’s inaugural briefing. “It is structured, evidence-based, and far-reaching. We are empowered to investigate local and international injustices -past and ongoing to make concrete recommendations for compensation and redress.”
The committee according will gather credible evidence of human rights abuses, resource exploitation, and illicit cultural trafficking committed by individuals, corporations, states, and institutions. Notable cases under review include Niger Delta oil degradation, lead poisoning in Zamfara, and extrajudicial killings, among others. The committee will steer clear only of matters currently undergoing judicial proceedings.
Nwoko emphasized the committee’s openness to all Nigerians and Africans seeking justice: “There are no ‘no-go’ areas — except where the courts are already involved. We urge litigants to withdraw such cases if they wish us to intervene.”
The committee’s work aligns with a growing global movement for restorative justice and heritage repatriation. It aims to create legal and policy frameworks rooted in international standards, with input from historians, legal scholars, anthropologists, and diplomats.
In a strategic move to bolster its efforts, the committee has appointed Chukwuebuka Anyaduba, a noted development strategist and cultural advocate, as consultant. Anyaduba will lead on international partnerships, public engagement, and advocacy efforts.
“This is about more than artefacts,” Anyaduba stated. “It’s about truth-telling, healing, and shaping Africa’s future cultural legacy. We must make a compelling case for restitution and repair.
At its launch event, the committee called on a wide range of stakeholders including legislators, legal experts, civil society, and global partners to contribute toward crafting a unified African voice on reparations with the goal to galvanize support for the return of cultural assets and promote policy changes that honor the historical dignity of Africa and its people.
This initiative places Nigeria at the forefront of a wider continental push to reclaim stolen treasures and address the lingering effects of colonialism, signaling a transformative moment in African political and cultural history.
