Abuja to Respond to US Collector Robert Lehman's Refusal to Return Benin Bronzes

Nigeria's National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM) has suffered a setback. American collector Robert Lehman has declined to return several Benin Bronzes looted in the British takeover of the Kingdom of Benin in the 19th century. Lehman has retained the items since they were last seen in a Boston museum in late April.

This rejection comes against the background of ongoing Nigerian government attempts to regain cultural objects stolen abroad during the colonial era. The NCMM was hoping to collect the bronzes as part of a larger process of restoring Nigeria's lost patrimony, but Lehman's stance puts such plans in jeopardy.

Related Developments:

Nigeria to Recover over a Thousand Benin Bronzes from Germany
Following the government of Nigeria and Oba of Benin reconciliation, plans for the repatriation of German artefacts are already in place. The Minister of Culture from Nigeria is also set to fly to Berlin to supervise the repatriation.
**Plans for a New Abuja National Museum
Nigeria's Ministry of Culture is having talks with UNESCO on how to establish a special museum in the capital to receive the hundreds of Benin Bronzes and other cultural objects to be repatriated.
France Moves Towards The Return Of Royal Relics To Madagascar
In a similar global trend, France has proceeded to repatriate three royal human skulls to Madagascar, one of which was owned by a 19th-century king assassinated by French colonizers—a process Antananarivo has pursued for over two decades.

The action, made in the midst of increasing global controversy, is representative of the complex nature of the subject of returning cultural heritage, with countries like Nigeria increasing efforts to reclaim invaluable historical artifacts.