The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, United States, has returned two Benin Bronzes to Nigeria, officials confirmed Monday.
Olugbile Holloway, head of Nigeria’s National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM), described the handover as “the return of a huge part of Nigeria’s history,” adding that the event is symbolic for both Benin and Nigeria’s broader cultural heritage.
The Benin Bronzes are a collection of hundreds of sculptures and plaques looted from the royal palace in Benin City, modern-day Nigeria, after British forces captured the city in 1897. Believed to have been crafted from the 1500s, the artefacts were taken as war spoils and are now scattered across museums and private collections worldwide.
While several Western museums, including those in Britain, Germany, and the Netherlands, have returned hundreds of these artworks, many pieces remain abroad. Negotiations for their repatriation have been ongoing between Benin’s traditional rulers and Nigerian authorities.
Nigeria’s Minister of Culture, Hannatu Musa Musawa, hailed the Boston Museum return as a “historic moment” and confirmed that discussions to repatriate the remaining artefacts are ongoing.
The return of the bronzes has sparked debate over ownership, with the Oba of Benin insisting the artefacts belong to the royal family, while concerns have been raised about the newly established Museum of West African Arts (MOWAA) in Benin City managing the artworks. Museum officials, however, have denied any intention to override traditional ownership.
