Netherlands To Return Looted 119 Benin Bronzes To Nigeria After 125 Years

Netherlands is set to return the looted 119 Benin bronzes to its original owners, Nigeria after over one hundred and twenty years in their coffer.

The National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM) has announced that Nigeria will welcome the return of 119 stolen Benin Bronzes from the Netherlands in June.

These bronzes originated from the Benin Kingdom and ended up in the Netherlands following their looting during the British invasion in 1897.

Of the total count of objects, 113 are part of the Dutch State Collection, and the Municipality of Rotterdam is returning the remaining six.

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The formal agreement for this repatriation was sealed recently between the two nations at the Wereldmuseum in Leiden, the Netherlands, where the Benin bronzes were formerly on display.

Mr Olugbile Holloway, Director-General of NCMM, said in a statement that the bronzes would be returned to Nigeria in segments.

He acknowledged the years of persistent joint efforts and the strong bond between the Netherlands and Nigeria that led to this triumph.

According to Holloway, the NCMM formally requested the unconditional return of the Benin Bronzes in September 2022.

At the European Union and African Union conference in Ethiopia in July 2024, the discussion was reignited, and in November 2024, it was determined that 119 Benin Bronzes would be returned to Nigeria.

He commended the Netherlands’ fairness and the immense support provided by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Nigeria to the NCMM.

This event marks the largest return of Benin antiquities linked to the 1897 British expedition, with the first batch slated for June.

Lastly, Holloway thanked the Federal Ministry of Arts, Culture, Tourism, and the Creative Economy and the Honorable Minister Hannatu Musawa for their invaluable contributions towards this significant achievement.