From this case study by Nigerian anthropologist, Eiloghosa Oghogho Obobaifo, we pick out:
Chronology of restitution efforts:
The violent dispossession of Edo people’s cultural heritage led to over a century of injustice and displacement.
It laid the foundation for contemporary restitution demands by the Edo people and Nigerian government, forming the moral and historical basis for global repatriation debates.
In the 1960s and 1970s Ekpo Eyo, an archaeologist and academic, became a leading voice in Nigeria, and by extension Africa’s, call for restitution, following the centering of cultural renaissance in liberation movements and post-Independence States.
In 1972, during his tenure as the Director of the Department of Antiquities, he wrote to various European embassies demanding permanent loans of the Benin Bronzes.
Although his demands were wholly rebutted on the basis that the belongings had been legally obtained, he continued to influence the restitution landscape through his participation in UNESCO, and the development of conventions that supported the repatriation of cultural belongings to their countries of origin.
The journey is not complete:
From an African perspective, the restitution of the 119 Benin cultural belongings from the Netherlands represents a significant milestone both materially and symbolically. Their physical return in July 2023 marked a step toward righting historical injustices and restoring cultural sovereignty to the Edo people and the Nigerian state.
Yet the journey is not complete. Although the belongings are back in Nigeria, the Benin Kingdom continues to advocate for their full cultural reintegration. Questions remain about their long-term custody, display and use.
Most remain in NCMM storage, while the Oba of Benin and other stakeholders call for their return to the royal palace, where they originally belonged and held sacred meaning.
Thousands of other Benin belongings remain dispersed across European and American institutions.
While this case sets an encouraging precedent, broader restitution requires sustained international pressure, investment in local infrastructure and legal frameworks that prioritise the rights and voices of origin communities.
See also: The restitution efforts of Oba Akenzua II and the significance of Benin Royal Stools.
