Benin Artifacts: How Museum Attack, Handover to Oba is Threatening US-Nigeria Treaty
Crusoe Osagie writes that the attack on the museum in Benin City and the propriety of an individual taking sole possession of globally significant artifacts puts the future of cultural restitution
The attack on the Museum of West African Art (MOWAA) in Benin City, Nigeria, has sparked a heated debate over the ownership and custody of globally significant Benin artifacts. The incident, which occurred in November 2025, raised concerns about the future of cultural restitution and the United States' cultural-property arrangement with Nigeria.
The United States and Nigeria signed a bilateral agreement on January 20, 2022, to protect Nigerian heritage from illicit trafficking and support the preservation of the country's cultural property. The agreement allows U.S. authorities to impose import restrictions on specific categories of Nigerian archaeological and ethnological material.
However, the Benin Bronzes, looted by British forces in 1897, present a unique challenge. In 2023, the Nigerian government formally recognized the Oba of Benin as the custodian of the returned objects. While the Oba holds cultural authority over the artefacts, the absence of a robust institutional framework creating a clear separation between custodianship and administrative control has become a significant issue.
Critics argue that the Oba's exclusive administrative control over the returned Benin Bronzes threatens the country's credibility in protecting its cultural heritage. The controversy has the potential to undermine Nigeria's international cooperation with the United States in preserving its cultural property.
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