Cambridge University has transferred legal ownership of 116 Benin artefacts from its Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology (MAA) to Nigeria’s National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM), which operates under a management agreement with the Benin Royal Palace.
The transfer comes in response to a formal request submitted by the NCMM in January 2022 for the return of artefacts looted by British forces during the 1897 sacking of Benin City. Cambridge University’s Council approved the claim, which subsequently received authorisation from the UK Charity Commission.
Though legal ownership has been transferred, the physical repatriation of most items will be coordinated at a later date. A limited number of the artefacts will remain on loan at the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology for teaching, research, and public viewing purposes.
The decision mirrors similar restitution efforts by museums across the United Kingdom, United States, and Europe in recent years.
The collection—predominantly brass works, along with ivory and wooden sculptures—was seized during Britain’s “Punitive Expedition” in February 1897, which followed a deadly trade dispute the month before.
The MAA, one of several UK institutions holding items taken from Benin in 1897, has maintained collaborative research and dialogue with Nigerian stakeholders for years, including representatives from the Benin Royal Court, artists, scholars, and students.
Since 2018, museum curators have conducted study and liaison visits to Benin City, meeting with the Oba of Benin, Royal Court members, and government and cultural officials. The University also hosted the Benin Dialogue Group in 2017 and welcomed delegations from the NCMM and Benin Royal Court in 2021.
Responding to the development, NCMM Director-General Olugbile Holloway called the transfer a landmark achievement in Nigeria’s engagement with international museums.
“This represents a crucial milestone in our dialogue with the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology at the University of Cambridge,” Holloway stated. “Returning these cultural treasures is about more than the objects themselves—it’s about restoring the pride and dignity stripped away when they were taken.”
He thanked Nigeria’s Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, for her backing, and praised Cambridge University for its constructive action, expressing optimism that other institutions would follow their example.
Professor Nicholas Thomas, Director of the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, said the decision resulted from years of partnership with Nigerian counterparts and increasing global momentum for the return of artefacts obtained through colonial violence.
“Engaging in dialogue with colleagues from the National Commission for Museums and Monuments, members of the Royal Court, and Nigerian scholars, students, and artists over the past decade has been profoundly meaningful,” Thomas remarked, noting that the repatriation has widespread support throughout the University community.
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