The collection, which includes royal commemorative heads, warrior plaques, and ornate armlets, was plundered by British forces during a 1897 "punitive expedition" against the Kingdom of Benin. While most of the 116 objects will be shipped to Nigeria at the university’s expense, a small selection will remain in Cambridge on long-term loan.

 

The "Domino Effect"

Olugbile Holloway, Director General of Nigeria’s National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM), hailed the move as a turning point. He noted that with the British Museum holding the world’s largest collection of 900 bronzes, the issue of restitution is now "at their doorstep." Holloway expects Cambridges lead to trigger a "domino effect" across other European and British institutions that have been slow to act.

 

A Legacy of Loot

The 1897 raid saw over 5,000 brass, bronze, and ivory artifacts stolen and scattered across Western museums. At the time, the sheer artistic sophistication of these pieces stunned Victorian society, challenging colonial myths regarding African cultural "barbarity." Over the 20th century, these items became multi-million-pound commodities and powerful symbols of colonial theft.

 

Internal Challenges and Delays

Despite the moral clarity of the return, the process has been hampered by internal Nigerian politics. A 2023 presidential decree naming the current Oba (the descendant of the deposed ruler) as the legal owner caused administrative confusion for the MAA. Furthermore, tensions between the Oba and the newly established Museum of West African Art (MOWAA) led to recent protests in Benin City, which recently left visiting officials—including the director of the British Museum—caught in the middle of local unrest.

 

A New Chapter in Lagos

While critics have pointed to underfunding and poor displays in existing government museums, Holloway is optimistic. A privately funded renovation of the National Museum in Lagos is set to open in March. Intended to serve as a "proof of concept" for world-class curation, it is here that many of the Cambridge bronzes will finally be displayed to the Nigerian public.

- Article from The Observer, UK