The Netherlands is set to return 119 Benin bronzes to Nigeria in June, marking one of the most significant cultural repatriations in the country’s history.
The Dutch Embassy in Nigeria confirmed on Thursday, June 5, that the artefacts will arrive during the week of June 16. A formal handover ceremony is scheduled for June 21 at the National Museum in Lagos.
Following the ceremony, the bronzes will be transferred to the National Museum in Benin City, Edo State—their place of origin. This will be the largest single repatriation of Benin bronzes to Nigeria by any country to date.
The artefacts are among thousands looted by British forces during the 1897 punitive expedition against the Benin Kingdom. Many of these sacred and ceremonial objects ended up in museums and private collections across Europe and North America.
In a statement issued in February, the Dutch Embassy acknowledged that the bronzes should never have been taken to the Netherlands. Bengt van Loosdrech, the ambassador-designate to Nigeria, noted that Nigeria has been calling for the return of the artefacts for over 50 years.
This restitution is part of a growing global movement to address the legacy of colonial-era looting, as countries and institutions face increasing pressure to return stolen cultural treasures to their rightful owners.
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