The Benin Bronzes, artefacts taken during a British colonial invasion in 1897, have now been partially returned to Nigeria by the Netherlands. This return includes 119 sculptures, acknowledged by Olugbile Holloway, the director-general of Nigeria's National Commission for Museums and Monuments, as crucial embodiments of the cultural identity of the people from whom they were stolen. With Germany also agreeing to return more than 1,000 pieces, this reflects a growing global responsiveness to calls for the repatriation of cultural artefacts taken during imperialism.
Olugbile Holloway, director-general of Nigeria's National Commission for Museums and Monuments, stated that the artefacts "embody the spirit and identity of the people from which they were taken."
Holloway highlighted the importance of these returns by saying, "All we ask of the world is to treat us with fairness, dignity and respect," during the ceremony in Lagos.
The artefacts are a symbol of cultural heritage; the Benin Bronzes "are the latest return of precious history to Africa as pressure increases on Western governments to return items taken during imperialism."
Four artefacts will remain in Lagos' National Museum, while the rest will be returned to the Oba of Benin, Ewuare II, highlighting their significance to local identity.
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