Overview

• On June 21, the Netherlands transferred 119 metal and ivory sculptures looted from the Benin Kingdom during a 19th-century British expedition to Nigerian authorities in Lagos.
• Oba Ewuare II, traditional ruler of Benin, hailed the return as a divine intervention during the handover at the National Museum in Lagos.
• Four of the artifacts will remain on display in the museum’s courtyard while the remainder are set to join the Benin Royal Court collections under Oba Ewuare II’s stewardship.
• Nigeria’s 2022 formal request to global museums prompted earlier returns of 72 Benin Bronzes from London and 31 from Rhode Island.
• Germany has pledged to repatriate more than 1,000 Benin artifacts, reinforcing international efforts to address colonial-era cultural plunder.