–Tuggar, Nigerian Ambassador to Germany
From Aidoghie Paulinus, Abuja
The Nigerian Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Germany, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, has said the question of custody of the soon-to-be returned Benin bronzes is not of paramount concern in the process of the return of the artefacts.
Tuggar, in this interview with Daily Sun, also said the primary focus should be on a hitch-free return of the bronzes and other stolen cultural properties to Nigeria.
The former Member of the House of Representatives further said both the governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, and the Oba of Benin, Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Ewuare II, are in harmony that the objects should be returned through the Federal Government of Nigeria and the National Commission of Museums and Monuments (NCMM).
Amongst others issues, Tuggar opened up on the bilateral relations between Nigeria and Germany in various spheres, particularly in the area of infrastructural development.
You are one of the eleven ambassadors that were retained by President Muhammadu Buhari. By your assessment, what do you think was responsible for that?
At the risk of sounding immodest, I believe that in the time I have held this position, I have demonstrated capacity and ability to further Nigeria’s national interest by bringing about an improvement in relations between Germany and Nigeria. The Embassy has facilitated two major infrastructure projects in Nigeria worth about $4 billion. It has further attracted businesses and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into Nigeria and supported Nigerian entrepreneurs keen on doing business with Germany. We have helped boost trade relations. We have brokered the return of Nigerian artefacts from Germany in a manner that has improved cultural diplomacy between the two countries. We have also gone a long way in making many Germans become aware of Nigeria and also changing their insalubrious perceptions of Nigeria. There is so much we have done in resolving challenges faced by German businesses in Nigeria that is behind the scenes and will remain so. Diplomacy is often a thankless job.
The Federal Republic of Germany and the Federal Republic of Nigeria enjoy very robust diplomatic relations. What new areas should both countries be looking at, taking into cognizance, recent global trends?
Well, first on the list would be the battle against COVID-19 and possible future pandemics. Germany has paved the way for the World Health Organization (WHO) to set up an early warning centre in Berlin, with the former head of Nigeria’s Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Chikwe Ihekweazu as Director. As Africa’s largest economy and with a population of 200 million, one out of every five Africans is Nigerian and we are going to be the third most populous country in the world. It only makes sense for Nigeria to become a major producer of vaccines and knowing what we now know about the spread of viruses, pulling up the draw bridges is futile; we are not safe until the whole world is safe.
Another area is clean energy, particularly hydrogen. Germany has an ambitious hydrogen programme that seeks to collaborate with other countries to produce hydrogen for German consumption. Nigeria is a natural partner for Germany because it is one of the largest liquified natural gas producers with an existing supply and value chain for liquefaction and transportation, as well as abundant sunshine and hydro power generation potential suited to hydrogen production. Third area is information technology and start-ups where young Nigerians with access to internet are doing remarkable things that are producing unicorns and software engineers in global demand. Germany is looking to digitize, while Nigeria is a silent champion in the realm of Fintech. There is room for collaboration. Have a look at our Nigeria Interbank Settlement System (NIBSS) infrastructure.
The issue of restitution of artefacts is currently at the forefront of the German-Nigeria relations. How far have both countries gone in this regard?
The negotiation for the return of the bronzes has gone very far. At the moment, both countries are at the phase of meeting to agree on a specific date for the return. It had been agreed earlier that the return would commence in the second quarter of 2022 and at the moment, all efforts are being made to ensure that we abide by that timeline.
Germany, I understand, has given conditions for the return of the artefacts. Is the Federal Government satisfied with the conditions?
I am not aware of any conditions. That’s news to me.
There was controversy between the Edo State Government and the Oba of Benin regarding the custody of the artefacts. Upon the return of the artefacts to the country, who exactly should be the rightful custodian?
I do not believe the question of custody of the soon-to-be returned Benin bronzes is of paramount concern in this process. Rather, the primary focus should be on a hitch-free return of the bronzes and other stolen cultural properties to Nigeria where they were taken from. Both governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, and His Majesty, the Oba of Benin, are in harmony that the objects should be returned through the Federal Government of Nigeria and the National Commission of Museums and Monuments. So, let us not dwell on disagreements over mere technicalities and get on with the return. We are Africa’s largest democracy and if you nitpick closely enough, you are bound to find two people out of our 200 million disagreeing over one thing or the other. Individual pieces have been returned to Nigeria through NCMM and there has been no tussle over custody. Let’s focus on the prompt return instead.
The Edo Museum of West African Art in Benin: What is the idea behind it?
The Edo Museum of West African Art (EMOWAA) is the brainchild of Edo State governor Godwin Obaseki in conjunction with the Legacy Restoration Trust (LRT). I believe the idea behind the EMOWAA is to boost tourism in Edo State which would generally be of benefit to the entire State. It is a wonderful idea that would further inspire and enhance Bini craftsmanship. But it is important to understand that completion of the EMOWAA Museum has never been a precondition for the return.
It was reported that the museum will show over 300 items on loan from European museums. What does this mean?
I do not have information on this.
What is the current trade volume between Germany and Nigeria when compared to the height of the COVID-19 pandemic?
Total volume of goods traded from Nigeria to Germany was $2.5 billion in 2019. Total volume of exports from Germany to Nigeria was $1.1 billion in the same year. German export trade volume to Nigeria as at October 2021 stood at 555,259,000 Euros, while Nigeria export trade volume to Germany stood at 460,688,000, in comparison to the 325.78 million dollars Nigeria exports to Germany and $1.03 Billion German exports to Nigeria in 2020. From the above, it is easy to deduce that just as in most countries around the world whose trade relations were adversely affected by COVID-19 pandemic and are still struggling to recover, Nigeria-German trade is not different. However, I am confident that in due course, our trade volume with Germany will rise to pre-COVID-19 levels and beyond.
What is the level of cooperation between Germany and Nigeria in the Kano-Maradi rail project?
The Embassy actually approached Siemens to consider participating in the competitive bid for the Kano-Maradi Rail Project. Siemens looked at it and decided to pass because they were focusing on electric trains, while trains were to be diesel powered. It however introduced Mota Engil Africa, a Portuguese Construction Company that bided and succeeded against stiff Chinese competition, with KFW IPEX-Bank (German Development Bank) as advisors. It shows that European consortia can compete successfully against Chinese firms in Nigeria (and Africa as a whole), by employing blended financing with a mixture of funding from Development Finance Institutions and Export Credit Agencies.
What is Germany’s interest in the project as some have said the resources should have been better channelled into rail projects within the country?
But the project is within Nigeria; only 44km out of the 377 is in Niger Republic. And there are several concluded and ongoing rail projects within Nigeria, so what is wrong with building 44km within a brotherly neighbour’s territory at the cusp of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (ACFTA)?Kano-Maradi rail project sits on top of the Lagos-Kano-Jibya (LAKAJI) trade and transport corridor linking the agricultural production hinterland with Lagos ports. LAKAJI has an estimated vehicular traffic of 17,000 per day and, significantly for Germany and Europe, the project includes Jibya and Maradi, two major hubs for migrants to Europe. The project has already started providing gainful employment and would stimulate the local economy, such that it obviates the need for migrating to Europe. Deutsche Bahn is also in discussions with Nigeria’s Ministry of Transport for the training aspect and I believe one other German company is discussing the supply of rolling stock.
Alongside the late Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, Mallam Abba Kyari and the immediate past Minister of Power, Mamman Saleh, you attended a meeting geared towards the boosting of the Nigerian power sector. What is the current state of the project?
The project is very much on track, and already reached an advanced stage of activities in line with Siemens’ Project Implementation Plan, despite the challenges occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic. Siemens is already supplying mobile transmission equipment to Nigeria and the pre-engineering on the distribution has been ongoing. The idea is to enable Nigeria utilize its existing power generating installed capacity by expanding its distribution and transmission capabilities.
Any assurance from Germany to help Nigeria end insecurity, particularly kidnapping, banditry and terrorism?
Nigeria and Germany enjoy robust cooperation in the area of security. Germany assisted the Nigeria Immigration Service to deploy the MIDAS biometric data collection and Border Management system at major points of entry into Nigeria. This system has gone a long way in allowing the border patrol to monitor movement in and out of Nigeria and there are plans to expand the system to other points of entry in the near future. Additionally, the German government assists in training and equipping some of Nigeria’s security forces. Furthermore, a transnational stabilization project designed to support Nigeria, Chad, Niger and Cameroon in combating terrorism is in place. Nigeria can do more with kinetic equipment in the West African region, as we have demonstrated in the past by leading ECOMOG to restore, re-build peace in Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Cote D’Ivoire. People often forget that Nigeria has been a democracy for the last 23 years, with the military under firm control of civilian authority. There is no reason for Nigeria not to be sold weapons as historically it has never been threatening to neighbours, but rather helps to maintain peace. You cannot resolve the problems in the Sahel without a militarily strong Nigeria.
What is the greatest immigration challenge facing the mission?
The greatest immigration challenge facing the Mission I would say on the one hand is irregular migration. But to be more specific, it is the quality of people who embark on this migratory journey that is the real issue. Majority of these people lack the necessary education or skill to integrate into the German society. There is a dearth of skilled workers in certain sectors of the German economy and society, which can be easily filled by migrants to ease their integration process. However, when they lack the necessary expertise to take advantage of this skilled labour gap, they easily and readily fall into the hands of human traffickers. It must be said that the concern over sub-Saharan migrants is not commensurate to the reality; only one percent of migrants in Germany are of African origin and only half of that are from sub-Saharan Africa.