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, describing the recognition as a reflection of Nigeria’s growing efforts to recover its cultural treasures and strengthen institutions that preserve the nation’s heritage.
The President said Holloway’s recognition among the 100 people shaping the future of art underscored the progress the NCMM has made in retrieving Nigerian artefacts held abroad, conserving them, and improving access to the country’s cultural heritage.
TIME describes its 2026 TIME100 Art list as recognising ‘the 100 people shaping the future of art-and our world’.
In a statement on Thursday, Tinubu 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 objects were taken.
Holloway, who was appointed NCMM Director-General in March 2024, has worked with the Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II, to establish a framework for the retrieval, conservation and exhibition of returned Benin artefacts.
According to the statement, the arrangement has strengthened Nigeria’s position in negotiations with foreign governments, universities and museums over the repatriation of cultural objects taken out of the country.
Under Holloway’s leadership, the Commission secured the return of 119 Benin Bronzes from the Netherlands as well as the legal transfer of 116 Benin Bronzes from the University of Cambridge.
The NCMM also recently secured the return of 18 Benin Bronzes and four Ikom monoliths from Switzerland as part of continuing efforts to retrieve Nigerian cultural objects held overseas.
Tinubu said the international recognition reflected the work Holloway and the Commission had undertaken to recover the country’s cultural treasures and renew the institutions charged with preserving them for future generations.
The President also commended the Commission’s deployment of technology to widen public access to Nigeria’s heritage, including the launch of the country’s first digital museum of antiquities.
More than 200 objects from the National Museum in Lagos have been scanned in three dimensions and made available through an immersive online platform.
Tinubu equally praised the renovation of the National Museum, Lagos, including the upgrading of its galleries, installation of modern display systems and improvement of facilities for the preservation and presentation of Nigeria’s cultural heritage.
He applauded Holloway for what he described as the diplomacy and institutional leadership he had brought to the Commission, while also congratulating the NCMM staff on the international recognition of their work.
The President urged the Commission not to relent in its efforts to recover Nigeria’s cultural property and modernise museums across the country.
He also charged the NCMM to make the nation’s history and cultural heritage increasingly accessible to young Nigerians.