The Prime Minister of the Biafra Republic Government in Exile, BRGIE, Ogechukwu Nkere, has urged the United States government to reject the renewal of its Memorandum of Understanding, MOU, with Nigeria on cultural property.
The current MOU between the US and Nigeria restricts the import of certain Nigerian cultural artifacts to prevent illicit trafficking.
In a statement on Thursday, Nkere said the appeal was made during his testimony before the US State Department’s Cultural Property Advisory Committee on July 14, 2026.
The hearing considered Nigeria’s request for an extension of the MOU and the continuation of US import restrictions on Nigerian archaeological and ethnological materials.
According to BRGIE, Nkere argued that the US should weigh Nigeria’s alleged persecution of Christians and pro-Biafra groups before taking any decision on the agreement.
He also cited the US government’s designation of Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” in his submission to the committee.
He said: “Unless the Federal Government of Nigeria ends its persecution of Biafrans and Nigerian Christians, the MOU should be suspended until Nigeria is in alignment with broader US government priorities.An MOU with the US government, even on cultural property matters, is a privilege and not a right.”
The BRGIE described the appearance as a historic development, claiming it was the first time a Biafran independence leader had participated in a US State Department hearing or provided testimony before the Cultural Property Advisory Committee.
The committee is responsible for advising the US government on matters relating to cultural property agreements and import restrictions under relevant international conventions.
