In a major step toward cultural restitution, the Netherlands has announced plans to return more than 100 looted Benin Bronzes to Nigeria.
These artifacts, stolen by British troops during the 1897 raid on the Kingdom of Benin, had been part of Dutch museum collections for over a century.
The Dutch government confirmed the decision in a statement released on Wednesday, noting that the repatriation follows an official request from Nigeria. The move marks one of the largest returns of Benin Bronzes to date.
According to Olugbile Holloway, Director-General of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM), the 113 artifacts set for return represent the most significant restitution haul Nigeria has received from the historic plunder.
“At the request of Nigeria, the Netherlands is returning 113 Benin Bronzes from the National Collection,” the statement read. “Minister Eppo Bruins (OCW) has decided to return them.”
The transfer agreement will be signed by Dutch Minister of Education, Culture, and Science, Eppo Bruins, and Holloway during a formal ceremony.
Bruins described the return as an effort to address historical injustices. “With this return, we are contributing to the redress of a historical injustice that is still felt today,” he stated.
The Netherlands joins other nations, including Germany, the United States, and the United Kingdom, in repatriating Benin Bronzes. Germany began returning its collection in 2022, and other institutions have followed suit. However, the British Museum, which holds one of the largest collections of Benin Bronzes, has yet to return any artifacts, citing a 1963 law that prohibits the removal of objects from its collection.
The looted sculptures, which depict royal figures and animals, were originally seized during the British invasion of Benin in modern-day Nigeria. Many of these pieces were later sold and displayed in museums worldwide, including the Wereldmuseum (World Museum) in Leiden, where the returning Dutch collection had been housed.
Nigeria has been actively working to reclaim its stolen cultural heritage, and this latest repatriation strengthens efforts to restore the nation’s historical artifacts to their rightful home.
