The Benin Bronzes are a group of more than 3,000 brass plaques and sculptures dating mainly to the 16th and 17th century.
On Monday, 13 June, the Smithsonian Board of Regents voted to repatriate to Nigeria 29 out of the 39 Benin Bronzes held in its keep at the National Museum of African Art (NMAfA) in Washington D.C. Although a date for the return has not been specified, the museum announced that it will repatriate the Benin Bronzes to Nigeria’s National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM), headed by Abba Isa Tijani.
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