Nigeria has received 119 Benin Bronzes from the Netherlands, more than 120 years after the artefacts were looted, according to statements on Wednesday from Nigeria’s museum commission and the Dutch embassy.
This marks the latest restitution of African cultural treasures, as Western governments and institutions face mounting calls to return artefacts seized during colonial rule.
“It gives us immense pleasure to welcome home 119 Benin Bronzes from the Netherlands on this historic occasion,” said Olugbile Holloway, director-general of Nigeria’s National Commission for Museums and Monuments.
“This represents the largest single physical return to Nigeria and the Benin people since the British looting of the Benin Royal Palace in 1897,” he added, in a statement released jointly with the Dutch embassy.
“The significance of this moment cannot be overstated in terms of the pride and dignity it restores not only to the Benin people but to Nigeria as a whole,” Holloway said.
The history of the Benin Bronzes is rooted in violence and colonial exploitation. The saga began when nine British officials were killed during a trade mission to the then-independent Kingdom of Benin, situated in what is now southern Nigeria.
In response, Britain dispatched a military expedition to exact retribution. The troops killed thousands of locals, burned down Benin’s capital, and plundered the royal palace, seizing hundreds of artworks, including the intricate Benin Bronzes.
Many of the bronzes were sold to fund the expedition, auctioned off, or acquired by museums and private collectors across Europe and the United States.
The looting occurred in 1897, and more than a century later, Nigeria continues efforts to recover the stolen treasures, with varying degrees of success.
Dutch Ambassador for International Cultural Cooperation Dewi van de Weerd praised Nigeria’s persistent efforts to secure the artefacts’ return.
“We hope this restitution serves not as an endpoint but as a foundation for ongoing collaboration between Dutch and Nigerian museums,” said van de Weerd in the joint statement.
Of the 119 pieces returned, 113 belonged to the Dutch State Collection, while the remaining six were held by the Rotterdam municipality. The official handover ceremony is scheduled for Saturday.
