Nigeria’s museum to oversee return of Benin bronzes

Nigeria’s National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM) will take charge of retrieving and preserving the Benin Bronzes, with the approval of the Oba of Benin, the rightful owner of the artefacts.

The bronzes, looted by British soldiers in 1897 from the former Kingdom of Benin, remain largely in European museums. A 2023 decree by former President Muhammadu Buhari confirmed the Oba’s ownership, but NCMM Director General Olugbile…