In 1897, a British colonial expedition looted vast quantities of Benin Artifacts from the Oba palace in Benin. These artifacts were carted around different western countries. Hundreds were sold to collectors such as the Ethnological Museum in Berlin, which has one of the world’s largest groups of historical objects from the Benin Kingdom. The Berlin museum has recently signed an agreement to return hundreds of Benin artifacts that were looted from the Benin Palace more than 120 years ago. During the accord in Germany on July 1st, 2022, two pieces held by the Berlin museum were handed over to the Nigerian officials as they signed their “joint political declaration” at the German foreign ministry in Berlin. The discussion session examines the recent agreement between the German museum and the Nigerian federal government to return Benin Bronzes back to Nigeria.
