Switzerland returns 18 Benin Bronzes to Nigeria

Swiss authorities have returned 18 Benin Bronzes to Nigeria in a ceremony at the National Museum in Lagos, marking the latest addition to the country's expanding collection of repatriated treasures. This act is part of a broader movement across Africa pushing for the restitution of artifacts and artworks seized during the colonial period.

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evidence of civilisation that already mastered bronze casting to a standard of technical, artistic and extremely intricate sophistication

The Benin Bronzes, renowned for their intricate sophistication in bronze casting, were looted as spoils of war by British forces who attacked Benin City in 1897. These priceless sculptures and plaques were subsequently dispersed among museums and private collections globally. Nigeria's Minister of Culture, Hannatu Musa Musawa, stated at the ceremony that the returned artifacts are "evidence of civilization that already mastered bronze casting to a standard of technical, artistic and extremely intricate sophistication" before colonization.

The handover also included a bronze bracelet and four Ikom monoliths from the Niger Delta region, which were seized in Switzerland during criminal proceedings before being transferred to the state, according to Switzerland’s federal department of home affairs. The bronzes originated from the Ethnographic Museum at the University of Zurich, the Museum Rietberg, and the Musee d’Ethnographie de Geneve.

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The artefacts returned today carry a painful history. Many of them left the Kingdom of Benin, their place of origin, as a result of violence, looting and deeply unequal power relations.

Elisabeth Baume-Schneider, a Swiss federal councillor, acknowledged the painful history associated with the artifacts, noting that many left the Kingdom of Benin "as a result of violence, looting and deeply unequal power relations." While Western museums have returned hundreds of African artifacts in recent years, many more are believed to remain missing or are held by institutions unwilling to repatriate them. Nigeria's own internal disputes between government authorities and traditional rulers over possession have sometimes complicated restitution efforts.

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They have graced our exhibition halls, they featured on our posters and in our publications. We have cared for them. We have preserved them, but they were never ours to keep.