Museum official reveals that animal skins, ivory, certain stones and antiquities cannot be cleared for export...

Nigeria’s National Commission for Museums and Monuments has once again said that permits are required before taking antiquities or contemporary artworks out of the country.

The curator of the National Museum of Unity, Oriyomi Otuka, said Otuka reiterated that Decree 77 of 1979 mandates the commission to serve as custodian of Nigeria’s cultural heritage and to issue clearance permits for artworks intended for export.

“All kinds of antiquities require permits, and even contemporary works such as paintings, sculptures and replicas must be assessed before they can leave the country,” Otuka said.

She said artworks are brought to museums for evaluation to ensure they are not antiquities, after which a clearance permit is issued.

The official added that Museums charge 10% of the declared value of artworks, with proceeds paid to the government.

Otuka said 350 people applied for and received clearance for contemporary artworks in 2025.

Export permits, she said, are issued for objects taken abroad temporarily for exhibitions or research and are subject to strict scrutiny, with most items later returned to Nigeria.

Otuka said the commission’s director-general had directed curators to work with immigration and customs authorities to curb illegal exports, adding that discussions with the agencies were planned.

She said the museum recorded 17,449 visitors in 2025, including 43 foreigners, with students accounting for the majority.