Senate To Meet African Envoys On Colonial Injustices

The Senate Committee on Reparations and Repatriations has resolved to meet with ambassadors and high commissioners of all African countries on Monday, June 30, 2025 to forge a common position on how to address the colonial injustice meted on the continent by the Western world.

This was disclosed during an interactive session on historical and systemic injustices, reparative justice and the repatriation of African cultural, human and economic patrimony held yesterday in Abuja.

The committee chaired by Senator Ned Munir Nwoko (Delta North) expressed its readiness to actively pursue the repatriation of Nigeria’s looted cultural artefacts.

As part of its core mandate to address historical injustices inflicted by slavery and colonialism, the committee has called on stakeholders, including legislators, policymakers, civil society leaders, legal experts, historians and international partners to contribute insights that would help shape an African-common position and galvanise global support for restitution efforts.

Senator Nwoko noted that the committee was poised to address centuries-old injustices related to slavery with focus on ensuring the return of looted cultural heritage.

He said the committee was committed to collating credible evidence of wrongdoing by individuals, states, corporations and institutions, both past and present, with the goal of addressing systemic injustices that had marginalised groups within Nigeria and the African diaspora.

“The committee’s work is structured, evidence-based, and far-reaching, aiming not only to address cultural and historical matters but also to cover various sectors affected by historical injustices.

“The work before us is not symbolic or ceremonial, we are empowered to investigate local and international injustices past and ongoing and make concrete recommendations for compensation and redress”, he stated.

The committee also seeks to establish dialogical frameworks and propose legal and policy templates aligned with national and international laws, collaborating with experts in law, history, anthropology, economics and diplomacy.

In line with the committee’s mandate and to support its efforts, they appointed Chukwuebuka Anyaduba, a development strategist and cultural advocate, as a consultant.

Anyaduba will advise on strategy, stakeholder engagement, international partnerships, and communications, particularly in promoting awareness and advocating for the repatriation of stolen artefacts and reparative justice.