Netherlands return 119 colonial-era artefacts to Nigeria

The Netherlands has officially returned 119 Benin Bronzes to Nigeria, more than a century after they were looted during Britain’s 1897 invasion of the former Kingdom of Benin, now in southern Nigeria.

The handover ceremony was held Saturday at the National Museum in Lagos, where four of the artefacts — including the Head of an Oba, the Bird of Prophecy, a Leopard statue, and a Carved Elephant Tusk — are now on display. The rest will be returned to Oba Ewuare II, the traditional ruler of Benin.

“These artefacts are not just objects. They are embodiments of the spirit and identity of the people from which they were taken,” said Olugbile Holloway, head of Nigeria’s National Commission for Museums and Monuments. “All we ask of the world is fairness, dignity, and respect.”

Dating back to the 16th to 18th centuries, the Benin Bronzes — crafted from bronze, ivory, and brass — have become symbols of Africa’s cultural heritage and the global push for restitution of colonial-era loot.

Germany has also pledged to return more than 1,000 similar items to Nigeria. In recent years, Nigeria has recovered pieces from institutions in the UK and the US as pressure mounts on Western museums to address their colonial legacies.

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