Nigeria’s museum agrees with royal ruler on custody of Benin Bronzes

The commission for Nigeria’s national museum will handle the retrieval and preservation of invaluable Benin Bronzes, undertaking this responsibility with the approval of the royal ruler who was named the exclusive owner and guardian of the artifacts nearly two years prior, according to its director.

Nigeria is actively seeking to reclaim the numerous detailed sculptures and castings that were taken by British troops during a raid on the former independent Kingdom of Benin, situated in present-day southern Nigeria, in 1897.

The taken bronzes rank among Africa’s most important and treasured heritage items, predominantly located in Europe.

In March 2023, former president Muhammadu Buhari enacted a law stating that the Oba, or king, of the ancient Benin kingdom legitimately possessed all returned Benin Bronzes and was in charge of overseeing all locations housing the artefacts.

Olugbile Holloway, the director general of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM), informed that the Oba lacks the facilities to showcase the bronzes at present.

He stated that the Oba, backed by NCMM, was making efforts to create the Benin Royal Museum, which would eventually contain the artefacts. In 2023, the NCMM indicated that the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology at the University of Cambridge suspended plans to return over 100 artefacts following the government’s directive.

Holloway, however, mentioned that it was only a matter of time until an agreement would be made with Cambridge University for the return of the artefacts.