Benin Bronze sculpture stands in a display at Rautenstrauch-Joest Museum. Photo: Oliver Berg/dpa (Photo by Oliver Berg/picture alliance via Getty Images)
(EPICSTORIAN) — Nigeria’s National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM) will manage the return of the Benin Bronzes, working in alignment with the Oba of Benin, who holds ownership and custodial rights over the artifacts.
NCMM Director General Olugbile Holloway confirmed the collaboration, highlighting that although the bronzes legally belong to the Oba, the commission will oversee their conservation and public display until the Benin Royal Museum is fully established, Reuters said.
“The Oba has given the NCMM the blessing to display, conserve, and pursue reparation for these objects. There is no more ambiguity,” Holloway stated.
Benin Bronze Is One of Africa’s Cultural Treasures
The artifacts, regarded as some of Africa’s most significant cultural treasures, were taken by British forces in 1897 during the colonial-era invasion of the Benin Kingdom, now part of southern Nigeria. Many remain in European collections.
A presidential directive in March 2023 reaffirmed the Oba’s ownership of any returned bronzes, influencing repatriation negotiations with institutions such as the University of Cambridge’s Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology.
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Ongoing discussions with Cambridge are expected to lead to the artifacts’ return, according to Holloway. “Bringing these objects home goes beyond exhibition plans. It restores dignity and addresses the historical injustice of 1897,” he said.
Progress in securing the bronzes strengthens Nigeria’s cultural restitution efforts, reinforcing the country’s position in reclaiming looted heritage and ensuring its preservation for future generations.
