Netherlands to return the stolen statues from Benin to Nigeria

The Netherlands say that it will return more than 100 bronzes of Benin than the British troops ransacked Nigeria at the end of the 19th century and ended in a Dutch museum.

Thousands of these sculptures and culturally significant sizes were stolen during the violent destruction of the city of Benin, in the state of Edo de la Moderna Nigeria, in 1897.

The treasures were sold, some to private collectors and others to museums such as the Wereldmuseum in the Netherlands, which has shown these artifacts for decades.

The return of the 119 artifacts is the “greatest repatriation of antiques of Benin,” said Olugbile Holloway, general director of the National Commission of Museums and Monuments of Nigeria (NCMM).

Despite the name, not all statues are made of bronze. They include figures, fangs, sculptures of Benin’s rulers and a ivory mask. They were made during the fifteenth and nineteenth centuries.

A transfer must be signed on Wednesday. Holloway added that he expected this to give a good example for other countries.

In 2022, Germany was the first to return to more than 20 bronz de Benin in an attempt to deal with its “Dark colonial history”.

“With this performance, we are contributing to the repair of a historical injustice that is still felt today,” said Dutch Minister of Culture, Education and Science Eppo Bruins, reports the AFP news agency.

The sculptures, appreciated for their beauty and technical art, are of spiritual and historical importance for people of that part of Nigeria.

Its robbery remains a pain point for the descendants of the ancient kingdom of Benin.

This movement can increase pressure on other institutions to return Benin’s bronzes, especially the British Museum, which has more than 900 artifacts.

The protests and demonstrations have taken place outside the British Museum as part of a campaign for their return.

However, an act of Parliament prevents the British museum from sending them back.

For many in Nigeria, Benin’s bronzes are a powerful reminder of colonialism violence.

The NCMM has issued formal requests for repatriation to museums around the world.

Nigeria said he plans to open the Edo de Arte Museum in Western Africa in the city of Benin in 2026, designed by the British-Ghanaian architect Sir David Adjaye, to house the largest collection of Bronz de Benin ever gathered.