President Bola Tinubu has congratulated the Director-General of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM), Olugbile Holloway, on his inclusion in the inaugural TIME100 Art list of the 100 most influential figures shaping the global art landscape.

The President said the recognition underscored the growing international significance of Nigeria’s efforts to reclaim, preserve and promote its cultural heritage, particularly the restitution of artefacts taken from the country during the colonial era.

TIME said its inaugural TIME100 Art recognises artists, collectors, museum leaders, gallerists, dealers, curators, advisers and cultural institution leaders whose work is shaping the global art conversation.

Holloway was recognised in the leaders category, with his work on the repatriation of Nigerian cultural heritage featuring prominently.

Tinubu, in a statement issued on Thursday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, commended Holloway and the NCMM for advancing Nigeria’s cultural diplomacy and strengthening efforts to secure the return of the country’s cultural treasures.

Since his appointment as NCMM Director-General in March 2024, Holloway has played a central role in negotiations surrounding the restitution of Nigerian artefacts held by foreign governments and institutions.

The President particularly acknowledged the collaboration between the NCMM and the Benin Royal Palace, led by His Royal Majesty, Oba Ewuare II, which has helped establish a framework for the recovery, conservation and exhibition of returned Benin artefacts.

That collaboration has provided a clearer institutional basis for Nigeria’s engagement with foreign governments, universities and museums over the ownership, custody and eventual return of the artefacts.

Under Holloway’s leadership, Nigeria secured the return of 119 Benin Bronzes from the Netherlands in June 2025, following an agreement signed between the Dutch government and the NCMM. The objects were subsequently handed over to Nigeria at the National Museum in Lagos.

The University of Cambridge also transferred legal ownership of 116 Benin artefacts to Nigeria in February 2026, following years of discussions with Nigerian authorities and stakeholders.

While the ownership transfer has been completed, arrangements for the physical transfer of most of the objects are being handled separately, with some retained temporarily on loan for research and exhibition.

Nigeria’s restitution campaign has also recorded further progress in Switzerland, where museums agreed in March 2026 to return Benin objects to Nigeria. A first tranche, including 18 objects, was handed over in Lagos in June.

Tinubu said the achievements represented more than the recovery of individual objects, describing the return of Nigeria’s cultural property as an important step towards restoring historical memory and addressing the legacy of the colonial-era removal of cultural treasures.

The President also commended the NCMM’s efforts to modernise Nigeria’s museum system, including the development of a digital museum platform that uses three-dimensional scanning to make Nigerian antiquities accessible to a wider global audience.

He welcomed the ongoing renovation and upgrading of the National Museum, Lagos, including improvements to its galleries, display systems and facilities for the preservation and presentation of Nigeria’s cultural heritage.

Tinubu said the international recognition of Holloway was also a recognition of the work being done by the NCMM and its personnel to reposition Nigeria’s museums and cultural institutions.

He commended Holloway for what he described as his diplomatic engagement and institutional leadership, and congratulated the entire NCMM team on the global recognition.

The President urged the commission to sustain its campaign for the recovery of Nigeria’s cultural property, strengthen museums and heritage institutions nationwide, and deploy modern technology to make the country’s history and cultural treasures more accessible, particularly to younger generations.