Olugbile Holloway, Director-General of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM), named to the inaugural 2026 TIME100 Art list as a leading repatriation advocate.
Olugbile Holloway, the Director-General of Nigeria’s National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM), has been named to TIME Magazine’s inaugural TIME100 Art list. The release highlights one hundred of the most influential figures shaping the future of art, spanning painters, sculptors, museum leaders, and advocates. Holloway was recognised in the Leaders category as a repatriation advocate for his work in securing the return of looted cultural artefacts to Nigeria.
His inclusion follows significant progress in reclaiming historical treasures stolen from Benin City in 1897, when British troops looted approximately 5,000 objects known as the Benin Bronzes. Holloway played a pivotal role in the transfer agreement signed in Leiden in February 2025, which paved the way for the physical return of 119 Benin Bronzes from the Netherlands in June 2025—marking the largest single repatriation of the artefacts to date. He subsequently oversaw the return of over 100 additional artefacts from the University of Cambridge.
According to Chika Okeke–Agulu, an expert in African diaspora art history, these agreements stem from Holloway’s ability to resolve long-standing confusion surrounding the rightful ownership of the bronzes. Drawing on his background in corporate advertising, Holloway worked alongside the Oba of Benin to establish a 20-page agreement outlining shared commitments to the future of the artefacts. According to Holloway, this agreement enabled the Nigerian government to present a unified front when requesting the return of the bronzes from the Netherlands.
NCMM Director-General Olugbile Holloway and Dutch Minister of Education, Culture and Science Eppo Bruins exchange signed transfer documents for 119 looted Benin Bronzes at the Wereldmuseum in Leiden
Holloway is currently working to negotiate the future of Nigerian antiquities held at the British Museum, an institution presently restricted by British legislation from permanently deaccessioning items in its collection.
Several other notable African cultural figures were also named to the list across various categories. Ghanaian-British historian and director Gus Casely–Hayford was recognised in the Innovators category for his efforts in broadening museum audiences, alongside renowned Ghanaian sculptor El Anatsui in the Titans section. Kenyan painter Michael Armitage (Innovators) and ceramicist Dame Magdalene Odundo (Titans) were also featured for their contributions to contemporary art.
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Photo Credit: Olugbile Holloway
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