Cambridge University, England, United Kingdom, has formally transferred legal ownership of 116 Benin artefacts in its Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology to Nigeria’s National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM). The university described the move as a major step in its ongoing efforts to address the colonial-era dispossession of cultural heritage.
The decision, announced today, followed a formal request by the NCMM in January 2022 for the return of objects taken by British troops during the 1897 sacking of Benin City. The university’s Governing Council supported the claim, and authorization was subsequently granted by the UK Charity Commission.
The university said arrangements for the physical transfer of most of the objects would be made in due course, further saying that its decision aligns with similar commitments made by museums in the UK, the United States, and Europe to return Benin material taken during the colonial period.
