President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has extended his warm congratulations to Olugbile Holloway, the Director-General of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM), following his selection for the debut TIME100 Art list celebrating the globe’s 100 most impactful figures redefining the art landscape.
According to the President, this prestigious international honor highlights the remarkable strides made by Holloway and the NCMM in reclaiming Nigeria’s lost cultural treasures and rejuvenating the agencies responsible for safeguarding the nation’s heritage.
Since taking the helm in March 2024, Holloway has worked closely with His Royal Majesty, Oba Ewuare II, the Oba of Benin, to design a comprehensive system for retrieving, preserving, and displaying repatriated Benin treasures. This united front has greatly amplified Nigeria’s leverage during high-level talks with foreign states, global museums, and academic institutions.
Under Holloway’s guidance, the Commission has achieved major repatriation breakthroughs, including the return of 119 Benin Bronzes from the Netherlands and the formal ownership handover of 116 artifacts from the University of Cambridge. In addition, Switzerland recently repatriated 18 Benin Bronzes and four historic Ikom monoliths.
Holloway has also driven technological modernization by unveiling the country’s first virtual antiquities museum, featuring high-resolution 3D scans of over 200 relics from the National Museum in Lagos presented through an interactive web portal.
President Tinubu commended the revitalization of the National Museum in Lagos, citing its upgraded exhibition spaces, state-of-the-art showcase technologies, and modernized conservation facilities.
The President emphasized that the restitution of indigenous heritage represents an indispensable act of historical justice that helps revive the dignity and ancestral memory of victimized communities.
Praising Holloway’s diplomatic acumen and transformative institutional leadership, President Tinubu also lauded the dedicated staff of the NCMM. He urged the agency to maintain its vigorous recovery campaign, continue upgrading museum infrastructure across Nigeria, and inspire the next generation to connect with their rich history.