The Senate on Monday hosted African diplomats in Abuja to deliberate on the lingering scars of colonial exploitation, the return of stolen artefacts, and efforts to right historical wrongs.
The high-level diplomatic forum was convened by the Senate Committee on Reparation and Repatriation at the National Assembly.
Declaring the session open, Committee Chairman Senator Ned Nwoko underscored the urgent need for African countries to confront their shared history of slavery, plunder, and colonial subjugation.
The lawmaker called on the continent to speak with one voice in seeking both symbolic and economic redress for centuries of dispossession.
“The trauma of colonisation still lives in our systems, our economies, and our fragmented identities.
“We must reclaim not just our artefacts, but our dignity and collective future,” Nwoko said.
Chief Whip Senator Tahir Mongunu, representing Senate President Godswill Akpabio, echoed the sentiment.
Mongunu argued that reparations and repatriation are no longer fringe issues but central to global justice movements.
“Africa must seize the momentum.
“The Nigerian Senate is prepared to provide legislative support for diplomatic efforts addressing these long-standing injustices,” he said.
Diplomats from Egypt, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe delivered remarks, each highlighting their national struggles with looted cultural heritage.
Egypt’s Ambassador, Mohammed Fouad, affirmed the continent’s right to reclaim its stolen treasures, noting that Egypt’s ancient artefacts remain scattered across Western museums.
Tanzania’s Ambassador, Selestine Kekele, recounted the partial return of human remains from Germany but lamented the continued retention of lucrative relics like dinosaur fossils.
He advocated including Caribbean nations whose histories are intertwined with Africa’s in future discussions.
Zimbabwe’s Ambassador, Maxwell Ranga, criticised the silence and inaction that have allowed global powers to profit from Africa’s natural wealth for decades.
“We need a new economic order built on justice and industrialisation,” he said.
Senator Ipalibo Banigo warned against tribalising or politicising history, urging Africans to resist distractions that weaken the call for justice.
“History is not for division; it is for awakening,” she said.