Objectives:
This Act establishes the National Commission for Museums and Monuments, and sets out its functions and powers. These include advising the State on the administration, management and preservation of museums, monuments, other cultural institutions and Nigerian antiquities. It also authorises this body to acquire and dispose of Nigeria’s antiquities.
Restitution Measures:
Part III of the Act focuses on the Prohibition of Transfers. This means no transfers or exports of Nigerian cultural heritage can occur without a permit. It also makes the transfer, trade, damage and destruction of antiquities, without a permit or authorisation a punishable offence that can lead to a conviction, a fine or imprisonment.
Limitations:
The Act has been lauded for addressing gaps in the 1979 Act. However, it has been critiqued for vagueness, in terms of criteria for appointment to the NCMM, definitions of terms like ‘museum’ and ‘antiquities’, and clear and enforceable measures for preventing illicit trafficking.
