Sweden returns 39 Benin Bronzes to Nigeria, 129 years after British forces looted thousands of royal and cultural objects in 1897

Sweden has formally returned 39 Benin cultural artefacts to Nigeria, 129 years after British forces looted thousands of valuable objects from the ancient Kingdom of Benin during the 1897 military expedition.

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The handover took place at a ceremony in Lagos on November 5, 2026, involving representatives of Nigeria’s National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM), Sweden’s National Museums of World Culture and the Swedish government.

The returned objects, described as *Emwin Arre*, were part of collections held by Swedish museums. They were among thousands of cultural and historical items taken from the Benin Kingdom by British troops and subsequently dispersed to institutions and private collections across the world.

According to The Art Newspaper, six of the 39 objects will remain in Sweden under a 10-year loan arrangement.

The restitution followed Nigeria’s request for the return of the artefacts. Sweden’s National Museums of World Culture said the process reflected its commitment to addressing difficult histories and acknowledging objects acquired through violence and exploitation.

The museum’s director-general, Britta Söderqvist, said the institution recognised that some objects in its collections had entered them through coercion and violence, adding that such historical relationships continued to matter today.

The return represents another development in Nigeria’s long-running campaign to recover cultural treasures taken from the Benin Kingdom during the colonial era.

In 1897, British forces invaded Benin City, looted the royal palace and removed thousands of objects, including bronze plaques, sculptures, ancestral figures and ceremonial items. Many were subsequently sold or transferred to museums in Europe and other parts of the world.

Several countries and institutions have taken steps to return Benin artefacts in recent years. Germany returned a substantial collection in 2022, while the Netherlands handed over 119 objects in 2025. Switzerland also returned 18 artefacts to Nigeria in June 2026.

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The latest Swedish restitution adds to these efforts to restore Nigeria’s cultural heritage and strengthen the connection between historical objects and the communities from which they originated.