February 19, (THEWILL) – Nigeria and Netherlands have signed an agreement on the return of 119 artefacts looted from the Benin Kingdom during the 1897 British punitive expedition.
The transfer agreement was signed at a ceremony held at Wereldmuseum in Leiden, Netherlands, on Wednesday, February 19, by the Dutch Minister of Education, Culture and Science, Eppo Bruins, and the Director-General of Nigeria’s National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM), Mr Olugbile Holloway.
Others at the ceremony include the NCMM Legal Director, Mr Babatunde Adebiyi and Chargé d’Affaires of the Nigerian Embassy in the Netherlands, Mrs Nnenne Ebere Ebekaku.
Speaking at the ceremony, Bruins said, “The Netherlands is returning the Benin Bronzes unconditionally, recognising that the objects were looted during the British attack on Benin City in 1897, and should have never ended up in the Netherlands.
“The Netherlands and Nigeria are working closely together to realise this historic restitution.
“This restitution contributes to redressing a historical injustice that is still being felt today. Cultural heritage is essential for telling and living the history of a country and a community. The Benin Bronzes are indispensable to Nigeria. It is good that they are going back.”
Ambassador-designate of the Netherlands to Nigeria, Mr Bengt van Loosdrecht congratulated Nigeria for being at the forefront of efforts to reclaim the looted artefacts.
“For over fifty years, Nigeria has advocated for the return of the Benin Bronzes. This restitution is a testament to the enduring strength of our partnership with Nigeria”, he said.
“We find it valuable that the objects are returning to Nigeria. We hope that this return is not the end of a process, but the start of further cooperation between museums in Nigeria and the Netherlands”, the Dutch museum added.
Highlighting the significance of the Bronzes, the NCMM Director-General, said, “The return of 119 objects from the Netherlands will represent the single largest return of Benin antiquities directly linked to the 1897 British punitive expedition.
“We thank the Netherlands for their cooperation and hope this will set a good example for other nations of the world in terms of repatriation of lost or looted antiquities.”
Out of the 119 objects set for return to Nigeria, 113 were part of the Dutch State Collection, while the remaining six were given back by the Municipality of Rotterdam.
A statement by The Netherlands Embassy in Abuja, said the objects are expected to arrive in Nigeria later this year.
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