Nigeria has had some success in its campaign for the return of the bronzes. In 2022 the German government announced the transfer of ownership of some 1,000 Benin Bronzes, and soon Germany handed over 22 objects to the Nigerian, while some museums in the UK and the US did the same.
So far, none of the bronzes she returned have been displayed in public since.
Whereas there is more or less agreement in Ghana on how to deal with the returned objects, Nigeria’s National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM) and the Oba’s palace have had disagreements over the ownership of the Benin Bronzes.
A much-discussed Benin Royal Museum is yet to materialise, while a Museum of West African Art (MOWAA), supported by the local governor Godwin Obaseki and due to open in November, has stepped back from any public discussions about the bronzes after disputes with the Oba.
Some museums in the UK and US that were on the verge of transferring ownership of their Benin Bronzes are now hesitating.
The Benin Dialogue Group, which brings together Nigeria and Western museums to discuss the bronzes, has postponed a meeting until 2025.
