Nigeria Receives 119 Looted Benin Artifacts from Netherlands in Historic Return

Nigeria has officially received 119 looted Benin artifacts from the Netherlands, marking a major milestone in the global push to repatriate Africa’s stolen heritage.

The artifacts, which include bronze and ivory sculptures dating back to the 16th to 18th centuries, were stolen by British troops during the 1897 invasion of the former Kingdom of Benin in present-day southern Nigeria.

A formal handover ceremony took place Saturday at the National Museum in Lagos, where four of the returned pieces—a bronze king’s bust, a carved elephant tusk, a small leopard figure, and another sculpture—were unveiled in the museum’s courtyard.

“These artifacts are not just historical objects; they are the spiritual and cultural identity of the people they were taken from,” said Olugbile Holloway, Director-General of Nigeria’s National Commission for Museums and Monuments.

Holloway also announced that Germany had signed an agreement to return over 1,000 additional Benin Bronzes, highlighting growing international support for restitution.

Nigeria’s Minister of Art and Culture, Hannatu Musa Musawa, praised the Netherlands for its cooperation and signed the official repatriation documents alongside Dutch ambassador for international cultural cooperation, Dewi van de Weerd.

“Nigeria needs to reclaim its history and its heritage,” Musawa said. “The agreements with the Netherlands and Germany reflect a broader commitment to correcting historical injustices and promoting global respect for cultural sovereignty.”

While four of the returned pieces will remain in Lagos as part of the museum’s permanent collection, the majority of the artifacts will be transferred to the Oba of Benin, Ewuare II, the traditional ruler of the Benin Kingdom.

This return adds to a growing list of Western institutions responding to long-standing demands to return artifacts taken during the colonial era.