The Netherlands on Saturday officially handed back to Nigeria 119 precious ancient sculptures, stolen from the former kingdom of Benin more than 120 years ago during the colonial era.

It is the latest return of artefacts to Africa, as pressure mounts on Western governments and institutions to hand back the spoils of colonial oppression.
Nigeria celebrated the return of the priceless “Benin Bronzes” — metal and ivory sculptures dating back to the 16th to 18th centuries — with a ceremony held at the National Museum in Lagos, showcasing four of them in the museum’s courtyard.

The selection included a bronze carving of a king’s bust, a carved elephant tusk and a small leopard.

In the 19th century, British troops stole thousands of Benin Bronzes in the then-independent kingdom of Benin, in the south of present-day Nigeria.
The sculptures were pillaged from the kingdom’s royal palace and had since been held in museums and private collections across Europe and the United States.

The four artefacts currently on display in Lagos will remain in the museum’s permanent collection, while the others will be returned to the Oba of Benin, Ewuare II — the traditional ruler of the kingdom of Benin in southern Nigeria.

“These are embodiments of the spirit and identity of the people from which they were taken from,” said Olugbile Holloway, director-general of Nigeria’s National Commission for Museums and Monuments.

“All we ask of the world is to treat us with fairness, dignity and respect,” he said at the ceremony, where he announced that Germany had agreed to return more than 1,000 additional Benin Bronze pieces.

“The German government has actually signed a transfer agreement to hand over a 1,000 Benin Bronzes back” to Nigeria, he said.
Nigeria’s art and culture minister, Hannatu Musa Musawa, who signed the handover document with the Dutch ambassador for international cultural cooperation, Dewi van de Weerd, said, “Nigeria needs to reclaim its history and its heritage”.

“The deal reached with Germany further underscores the growing international commitment to right historical wrongs and foster mutual respect,” she added.