After 125 Years, Switzerland Returns Looted Benin Artefacts To Nigeria
More than a century after they were violently taken during the British invasion of the ancient Kingdom of Benin, a fresh chapter of cultural justice has begun as Switzerland returns looted Benin artefacts to Nigeria.
Swiss authorities have formally handed over 18 Benin Bronzes to Nigeria, marking another milestone in the global effort to repatriate African cultural treasures stolen during the colonial era.
The artefacts, taken during the 1897 British punitive expedition, were returned at a ceremony held at the National Museum in Lagos.
The returned objects came from three Swiss museums under the Benin Initiative Switzerland, a programme established to investigate the origins of Benin artefacts in Swiss collections.
The handover follows an agreement signed earlier this year to transfer ownership of 28 artefacts to Nigeria.
Nigeria’s Minister of Arts, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa, described the restitution as more than the recovery of historic objects, saying it symbolises dialogue, trust and international cooperation.
Alongside the bronzes, Switzerland also returned a bronze bracelet and four archaeological monoliths from the Niger Delta, while both countries signed an agreement to strengthen cooperation in protecting cultural heritage.
The return adds to a growing international movement to restore African cultural heritage, with several museums and institutions across Europe and North America repatriating Benin artefacts in recent years.
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