Looted things come to those who wait
A new batch of stolen Benin Artefacts is returning to Nigeria
Happy Friday, Big Brains! I hope you plan to binge-watch Bridgerton this weekend because why not? Unrelated but the first thing that comes to mind every time I see pictures of the Benin Bronze artefacts is “This was so ahead of its time”. Truly genius! While we wait for the rest of the looted artefacts to be returned to the country, find out how many countries may have inspired Sweden’s decision in today’s newsletter.
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- Margaret
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Let’s get into today’s edition:
Sweden to Return Looted Benin Artefacts
Senate Approves $500 Million Loan For Electricity Metre Project
Patients at Aro Psychiatric Hospital Protest Over Poor Treatment
Tinubu Launches Gas Projects in Delta and Imo States to Decrease Nigeria's Reliance on Petrol and Diesel
The Big Deal
Sweden to Return Looted Benin Artefacts
After 26 years of trying to get Sweden to return the Benin artefacts in their country, we finally have some good news. The Swedish government has decided to return 39 pieces of Benin artefacts in its museum to Oba of Benin, Ewuare II. The Swedish Ambassador to Nigeria, Annika Hahn-Englund, made this decision known when she paid a visit to the king’s palace in Benin City.
Why are they returning the artefacts now?
For over a century, the historical Benin Bronzes have been scattered across museums worldwide. In 1897, the Benin artefacts were ‘stolen’, although it is argued that their acquisition wasn't technically illegal because there were no laws set to prevent the loot at the time. The Benin Bronze artefacts were passed down to Sweden by Great Britain through sales, making it harder for Nigeria to get them.
In 1998, a request was made for Sweden to return the artefacts to Nigeria, and after 26 years, Sweden decided to honour this request. While the Swedish Ambassador didn’t extensively discuss why they decided to return the artefacts , she suggested that the return is tied to a growing partnership between Sweden and Nigeria, spanning infrastructure, telecommunications, and energy, strengthening the economy of both countries.
Sweden is one of the foreign countries that have decided to return the artefacts over the years. University of Aberdeen in Scotland became the first Western institution to return the Benin Bronze in 2021. Jesus College at the University of Cambridge followed shortly after. In October, 2022, the United State of America returned 31 looted artefacts, including the bronze sculpture called “Oba” or Head of King. In December 2022 , Germany also returned 20 Benin Bronze artefacts to Nigeria after transferring the legal ownership of 1,100 looted artefacts to the government. The Horniman Museum in south London also returned six of 72 items to Nigerian in November 2022.
Why is this a big deal?
The Oba of Benin said that the government-supported Benin Royal Museum project, set to house the returned artefacts, is still in progress. This return is expected to boost Nigeria's tourism sector, contributing to the country's overall economic growth.
Senate Approves $500 Million Loan For Electricity Meter Project
“Up NEPA” is the spelling of happiness for many Nigerians who are used to the country’s poor power supply. But that might change soon as President Tinubu has requested for a loan of $500 million to improve the technical performance of electricity distribution companies.
On Wednesday, the Senate agreed to the $500 million loan request from President Bola Tinubu. This loan, backed by the World Bank, is aimed at improving electricity availability throughout Nigeria. The Bureau of Public Enterprises received the approval, following a report by the Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debts.
Vice Chairman of the committee, Haruna Manu, assured that the loan's terms won't harm Nigeria's economy
How is this supposed to increase electricity supply?
The loan breakdown has not been made available to the public yet so it’s impossible to be sure of how the federal government intends to allocate the funds.
In April, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) revealed that the federal government would have to spend the sum of N3.2 trillion as subsidy on electricity in 2024 if the recent electricity tariff hike was to be reversed. But the Labour Union is currently threatening to go on a nationwide strike as a result of the hike. The loan, which is over ₦750 billion, could be used to cover a small percentage of the subsidy on electricity, reducing the cost of electricity in the country. This is just a theory but as soon as we have the presidentially affirmed details, we’ll be in your inbox with updates.
Patients at Aro Psychiatric Hospital Protest Over Poor Treatment
The psychiatric patients of a federal government-owned hospital in Ogun state have joined the growing list of Nigerians who are protesting against the government’s lapses. The protest which took place at Aro Neuropsychiatric Hospital in Abeokuta, Ogun state, has been described as “violent” by several publications. During the protest, patients allegedly tried to harm a doctor and three nurses. The protest was fueled by their dissatisfaction with the poor food, bad sanitation, and frequent power outages at the facility.
The protest lasted for more than two hours until police officers from the Lafenwa Divisional Headquarters stepped in to restore order. According to the Lafenwa Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Enatufe Omoh, the doctor who was physically attacked sustained injuries.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that around 40 million Nigerians are affected by mental illnesses yet the country has only 8 federal-owned psychiatric facilities. While the Public Relations Officer of the facility, Mr Ajibola , tried to play the protest down, saying it was “just an internal affair”, it is a valid reason for Nigerians to be concerned about the state of mental health facilities in the country.
Tinubu Launches Gas Projects in Delta and Imo States to Decrease Nigeria's Reliance on Petrol and Diesel
Eco-conscious Nigerians have an ally in President Tinubu. The president has launched new gas projects in Delta State and Imo State to reduce Nigeria's reliance on petrol and diesel, and move towards cleaner energy.
He mentioned his directive for government agencies to embrace vehicles powered by Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) was also a step in embracing cleaner energy for the good of the country.
The president said he made these gas projects a priority when he resumed office 11 months ago and that he has always believed in the potential of these projects to drive economic growth in Nigeria.
“Beyond the Presidential CNG initiative, which is aimed at moving the good people of Nigeria away from petrol and diesel, as well as commercial fuel products that are also being made, we are incentivising gas development through presidential executive orders.
“I wish to assure the Nigerian people that this project represents only the beginning. The federal government is stepping up its coordination of other landmark projects and initiatives that will ensure the earliest possible realisation of gas to prosperity in our country.”
This Week’s Big Question
“If you could have one superpower as a Nigerian, what would it be?”
Tonye’s response - “Not sure why I even want this but I want to be able to fly. I look at the birds sometimes and I get jealous.”
The Big Picks
Student loan application portal opens May 24 – NELFUND: The Nigerian Education Loan Fund, NELFUND, has announced May 24, 2024, as the official date for the opening of the portal for student loan applications.
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