Repatriation of Benin Bronzes strengthens global calls to preserve Nigeria’s heritage and prevent future looting of priceless cultural artifacts
There is no doubt that Nigeria is blessed with different eye-catching artifacts that have attracted not just global interest but have become a center point for tourist destinations.
Also read: As Artifact Beams on the Big Screen
It’s bizarre to imagine that some of these culturally-significant sculptures and carvings were stolen during the violent destruction of Benin City, in modern-day Nigeria’s Edo state, in 1897.
The Benin Bronzes include metal and ivory sculptures dating back to the 16th to 18th centuries.
Interestingly, the treasures were sold, some to private collectors and others to museums like the Wereldmuseum in the Netherlands, which has displayed these artifacts for decades.
It’s sad to know that German museums hold more than 1,130 of the artifacts.
They’re spread across the Linden Museum in Stuttgart, Berlin’s Humboldt Forum, the Rautenstrauch-Joest Museum in Cologne, the Hamburg Museum for World Cultures, and the State Ethnographic Collections of Saxony.
The Ethnological Museum has around 530 historical objects from the ancient kingdom of Benin, including more than 400 bronzes—considered the most important collection outside London’s British Museum.
However, in the past three years, many of those looted artifacts have been returned to the country, marking a significant step in the global movement to restore looted artifacts.
In 2022, Nigeria formally requested the return of hundreds of objects from museums worldwide.
In the same year, about 72 objects were returned from a museum in London, and 31 were returned from Rhode Island in the United States.
In December 2023, Germany returned 22 artifacts looted during the Colonial Era.
Recently, on June 21, 2025, the Netherlands returned 119 artifacts looted from Nigeria, including human and animal figures, plaques, royal regalia, and a bell.
The artifacts, known as the Benin Bronzes, are mostly housed in a museum in the city of Leiden. The return of 119 artifacts marks the largest single repatriation to date.
Although some experts estimate that 80-90% of Africa’s cultural heritage is currently in European museums, it is believed that some of these artifacts will be returned in due course.
Also read: Nollywood Films Redefine Production with Bold Themes and Global Recognition
This is a major call for the Nigerian government to protect some of the nation’s treasured artifacts from being looted in the country.
