In a momentous act of cultural restitution, Nigeria has received 119 Benin Bronzes from the Netherlands — the largest physical repatriation of looted artefacts since the 1897 British invasion of the Benin Kingdom. According to an expert, some of the pieces date back to between the 14th and 16th century.

Speaking exclusively to ARISE News during the handover of four of the Benin Bronzes at the National Museum in Lagos on Tuesday, Consul General of the Netherlands in Lagos, Michel Deelen said, “This fits in exactly with our policy. We have a policy on basically, let’s say, art that was stolen from colonial eras.

“With the Benin Bronzes, we know what happened to them. We know why they were taken out of Nigeria, when they were taken out of Nigeria. So when you do the analysis, when you do the study, and that has been done in the Netherlands also of this collection, the provenance of these objects, it was time for us to bring them back. And that is what also the Dutch policy says. If it’s very clear that objects are stolen, taken under distress, then obviously we will return them to the rightful owner.”

He added that the return of the artefacts is a reflection of the strong bilateral ties between Nigeria and the Netherlands.

“Netherlands-Nigeria relations are good and have always been very good. President Tinubu visited the Netherlands last year with a high-ranking delegation, so that just shows the commitment on both sides. And I think if you’re good friends of each other, if you talk to each other openly, and one of the friends has something in his possession that belongs to another friend, and says, hey, by the way, this belongs to you, let me give it back to you. So I think, you know, as partners, as friendly countries, it’s a good thing for our relationship.”

In a joint statement issued on Wednesday by the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM) and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, both parties hailed the return as the result of years of diplomatic collaboration and a shared commitment to restorative justice.

NCMM Director-General Olugbile Holloway said the return represents a turning point in the fight to reclaim Nigeria’s stolen heritage:

“On this historic occasion, it gives us great joy to finally welcome the return of 119 Benin Bronzes from the Netherlands. This represents the largest physical return to Nigeria and the people of Benin since the looting of the Benin Royal Palace by the British in 1897. The symbolism cannot be overemphasised—for the pride and dignity of not just the Benin people, but the whole of Nigeria.”

He also thanked His Royal Majesty the Oba of Benin for entrusting the NCMM with the artefacts, promising they will be preserved and displayed “with the utmost attention to detail.”

The NCMM also announced a partnership with Coronation Group Limited to establish a world class gallery within the NCMM Oba Ovonramwen storage facility in Benin. DG Holloway: “I would like to personally thank Mr. Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede for sharing in this vision and all the invaluable support given to the NCMM in this regard.”

The restitution follows a February 2025 decision by Dutch Minister of Education, Culture and Science, Eppo Bruins, to return the Bronzes unconditionally — recognising that the artefacts were looted during the colonial-era sacking of Benin and should never have been taken. The signed agreement covers 119 items: 113 from the Dutch State Collection and six from the Municipality of Rotterdam.

Speaking to ARISE News, curator of the National Museum in Lagos, Nkechi Adedeji, also expressed joy over the development, describing it as a landmark victory in the fight to reclaim Nigeria’s looted cultural heritage.

“I’m excited, I’m elated that this is happening. We’ve always been agitating for the return of these objects that were carted away, you know, during the Benin expedition in 1897… And we’re glad that the Netherlands government have agreed to return 119 objects to the museum,” she said.

She emphasised that the artefacts will be preserved properly, contrary to the negative assumptions surrounding the country’s capacity to care for its historical treasures.

“We want to lay to rest the myth that we can’t preserve our objects, we can’t take care of our objects. And then, you know, from time to time we’ve proved them wrong. And I’m glad that the Netherlands government deemed it fit, you know, to return 119 bronze objects. Four of them will be here in the museum, while the rest of them will go to the Oba’s Palace in Benin.”

The artefacts’ safe arrival and transport involved collaboration across multiple institutions, including Nigerian customs, the Dutch embassy and consulate, and logistics provider AJS Finance. Quentin Shmassmann, Managing Director of AJS Finance, described the process as delicate and urgent.

“Well, the challenges is that you are transporting a piece of Nigerian history. It’s artefacts that are hundreds of years old. It’s history of Nigeria. So there can be no mistakes. Absolutely not. So it’s extreme care. Everybody is highly focused. And they are very fragile. They are very delicate. So that’s the danger of any moment, is that you need to be extremely careful from the transport to the handling.” Quentin Shmassmann said.

with an official handover ceremony at the National Museum in Lagos, in the presence of the Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy Hannatu Musa Musawa, the Ambassador for International Cultural Cooperation of the Netherlands Dewi van de Weerd, the DG of the NCMM, the directors of the Wereldmuseum and other officials.

An official handover ceremony will be held on June 21 at the National Museum in Lagos, marking the official conclusion of the repatriation effort and setting the stage for continued cultural cooperation between Nigeria and the Netherlands.

Expected to grace the occasion are Nigeria’s Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa, the Ambassador for International Cultural Cooperation of the Netherlands Dewi van de Weerd, the DG of the NCMM, the directors of the Wereldmuseum and other officials.

Faridah Abdulkadiri

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