The Netherlands has announced plans to return 119 Benin bronzes looted during the colonial era to Nigeria, marking one of the largest single repatriations of cultural artefacts to the country
According to the Dutch embassy in Nigeria, the bronzes will arrive in the week of June 16, with an official handover ceremony scheduled for June 21 at the National Museum in Lagos.
After the ceremony, the artefacts will be moved to the National Museum in Benin City, Edo State—their place of origin. This consignment is believed to be the largest ever returned to Nigeria by any country.
The bronzes were among thousands of sacred and ceremonial objects looted by British troops during the 1897 punitive expedition against the Benin Kingdom. Many were later acquired by European and North American museums and private collectors.
In a statement issued in February, the Dutch embassy acknowledged that the artefacts should never have been taken. Bengt van Loosdrech, the ambassador-designate to Nigeria, noted that Nigeria had been demanding the return of the bronzes for more than 50 years.
The move comes amid a growing global push to address colonial-era injustices, with increasing pressure on institutions and governments to return stolen cultural heritage to their rightful owners.
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