Lagos, Nigeria — Three Swiss museums have officially returned 18 looted Benin artefacts to Nigeria, marking another milestone in the country’s ongoing efforts to reclaim cultural treasures taken during the 1897 British invasion of the ancient Benin Kingdom.
The artefacts, commonly known as the Benin Bronzes, were formally handed over to Nigerian authorities during a ceremony held at the National Museum in Lagos on Sunday. The restitution followed years of provenance research conducted by the Benin Initiative Switzerland, which established that the objects had been unlawfully removed during the colonial-era military expedition.
The returned collection includes historically significant bronze works that had been housed in Swiss museums for decades. In addition to the 18 Benin artefacts, Swiss authorities also handed over a bronze bracelet and four archaeological monoliths originating from Nigeria’s Niger Delta, which had previously been confiscated during criminal investigations in Switzerland.
Speaking at the ceremony, Swiss Federal Councillor Elisabeth Baume-Schneider described the return as an important step toward addressing historical injustices and strengthening cultural cooperation between Switzerland and Nigeria.
Nigeria’s Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy welcomed the restitution, describing it as a significant achievement in preserving the nation’s cultural heritage. The minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to protecting and showcasing the recovered artefacts for future generations.
The Benin Bronzes are among Africa’s most celebrated cultural treasures. Thousands of the artworks were looted in 1897 when British forces invaded and sacked the Kingdom of Benin, located in present-day Edo State. The artefacts were subsequently dispersed to museums and private collections across Europe and other parts of the world.
In recent years, several museums and institutions in Europe and North America have begun returning Benin artefacts to Nigeria following increasing international calls for the restitution of cultural property acquired during the colonial era.
