Cambridge University has formally 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), marking a significant step in addressing colonial-era dispossession of cultural heritage.
The university announced the decision on Monday, following a formal request made by the NCMM in January 2022 for the return of artefacts taken by British troops during the 1897 sacking of Benin City.
According to the university, its Governing Council supported the claim, and approval was subsequently granted by the UK Charity Commission.
The artefacts, largely cast in brass, as well as ivory and wooden sculptures, were seized during the so-called “Punitive Expedition” carried out by British forces in February 1897 after a violent trade dispute.
The university stated that arrangements for the physical transfer of most of the artefacts would be made in due course. However, a small number will remain in Cambridge on loan and be displayed at the MAA, where they will continue to be accessible to visitors, students and researchers.
Cambridge noted that the move aligns with similar commitments by museums in the United Kingdom, the United States and across Europe to repatriate Benin artefacts taken during the colonial period.
It added that the MAA, one of several UK institutions holding Benin material, has engaged in long-term research and dialogue with Nigerian stakeholders, including representatives of the Benin Royal Court, artists, academics and students.
MAA curators have undertaken study and liaison visits to Benin City since 2018, meeting the Oba, members of the Royal Court, and state and Federal Government officials.
The university also hosted the Benin Dialogue Group in 2017 and welcomed delegations from the NCMM and the Royal Court to Cambridge in 2021.
Reacting to the development, the Director-General of the NCMM, Mr Olugbile Holloway, described the transfer as a turning point.
“This development marks a pivotal point in our dialogue with the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology at the University of Cambridge, and it is our hope that this will spur other museums to head in a similar direction.
“The return of cultural items for us is not just the return of the physical object, but also the restoration of the pride and dignity that was lost when these objects were taken in the first place,” he said.
Holloway acknowledged the support of the Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, and commended the university for taking what he described as a step in the right direction.
“We look forward to welcoming the artefacts back home soon,” he added.
The Director of the MAA, Prof. Nicholas Thomas, said the repatriation reflected years of sustained engagement and a growing global consensus.
“It has been immensely rewarding to engage 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 last ten years.
“Over the period, support has mounted, nationally and internationally, for the repatriation of artefacts that were appropriated in the context of colonial violence.
“This return has been keenly supported across the university community,” he said.
the NCMM, which operates under Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, oversees 53 museums, 65 national monuments and two World Heritage Sites across the country.
Founded in 1884, the MAA is one of Cambridge University’s oldest museums, with collections spanning global cultural history, archaeology and contemporary Indigenous art.