The Prime Minister of the Biafra Republic Government in Exile, Ogechukwu Nkere, has urged the United States government to reject Nigeria’s request for the renewal of its Memorandum of Understanding on cultural property, alleging continued persecution of Christians and pro-Biafra groups.
Nkere made the appeal while testifying before the US State Department’s Cultural Property Advisory Committee on July 14, 2026, during a hearing on Nigeria’s request to extend the agreement and maintain US import restrictions on Nigerian archaeological and ethnological materials.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the BRGIE said Nkere told the committee that Nigeria’s treatment of Christians and pro-Biafra organisations should be taken into account before any decision is reached on the agreement.
He also referred to the US government’s designation of Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern”, arguing that the issue should influence Washington’s position on the proposed renewal.
According to him, the memorandum should be suspended until the Nigerian government ends what he described as the persecution of Biafrans and Christians and aligns with broader US government priorities.
“An MOU with the US government, even on cultural property matters, is a privilege and not a right,” Nkere said.
The BRGIE described Nkere’s appearance before the committee as a historic milestone, claiming it marked the first time a Biafran independence leader had testified at a US State Department hearing or appeared before the Cultural Property Advisory Committee.
The committee advises the US government on cultural property agreements and import restrictions under international conventions.
The development comes amid the recent exchange of correspondence between US President Donald Trump and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
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