The Netherlands has returned a historic Benin artefact to Nigeria, 129 years after it was taken from the Benin Kingdom in the course of the British invasion of 1897.
The artefact was formally introduced to the Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II, at his palace in Benin City on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, as a part of actions marking the monarch’s tenth coronation anniversary.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the presentation was made by the Consul General of the Netherlands, Frank Keurnorst, alongside Beatrice van Bormann, Executive Director of Museum De Fundatie within the Netherlands.
The improvement marks one other milestone in Nigeria’s efforts to recuperate cultural heritage objects eliminated in the course of the colonial period.
Benin palace welcomes Dutch artefact return
Chairman of the tenth Coronation Anniversary Committee and former Edo State Deputy Governor, Lucky Imasue, described the return as a big achievement within the kingdom’s longstanding marketing campaign for the restitution of its cultural treasures.
- He defined that the Netherlands had initiated efforts to return artefacts faraway from Benin following the 1897 invasion, including that extra historic objects have been anticipated to be repatriated.
- According to Imasue, the recovered artefacts initially belonged to the Oba of Benin and served as historic data documenting the dominion’s royal traditions, governance and cultural heritage.
- He famous that successive Benin monarchs had pursued their restoration, however the marketing campaign gained additional momentum beneath Oba Ewuare II, whose diplomatic background helped strengthen worldwide engagements.
- Imasue additionally acknowledged that the Federal Government, by the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM), recognised the historic connection between the artefacts and the Benin Palace.
He recommended the Dutch authorities for facilitating the return and deciding on the monarch’s coronation anniversary for the presentation.
Oba Ewuare II strengthens cultural ties
Speaking in the course of the anniversary celebration, Oba Ewuare II welcomed the return of the historic object and expressed appreciation to the Netherlands for its contribution to the restitution course of.
The monarch additionally acknowledged the presence of Portuguese Ambassador to Nigeria, Paulo Santos, and the Dutch Consul General on the ceremony.
He disclosed plans to strengthen cultural and historic relations between the Benin Kingdom and Portugal, citing longstanding connections courting again to early European contact with the dominion.
Ewuare highlighted the historic affect of Portuguese spiritual traditions on the Holy Aruosa Church in Benin, explaining that the establishment mirrored components of Catholic practices alongside indigenous religious beliefs.
European Countries Return Looted Benin Bronzes
The return of the artefact comes amid sustained efforts by the Nigerian authorities to recuperate 1000’s of historic objects looted from the Benin Kingdom in the course of the British invasion of 1897.
Beyond their historic significance, the return of those objects has implications for Nigeria’s cultural and tourism sectors, with authorities figuring out heritage preservation, museum improvement and cultural tourism as potential financial alternatives.
