As the British Museum continues to resist calls to return the Benin Bronzes, a group of Nigerian artists has offered to donate new artwork to British in exchange for the looted artefacts. 

The artists from Nigeria’s Benin City believe the move could encourage the museum in London to return the priceless bronzes, which were stolen by British troops from the city’s royal court in 1897. 

Germany has announced it will return Benin Bronzes from its museums back to Nigeria. However, the British Museum which has the largest collection of the items, has dragged its’ feet on making a clear commitment to do the same. 

On the museum website, director, Hartwig Fischer, claims he had an audience with the Oba (king) of Benin in 2018, and the talks “included a discussion of new opportunities for sharing and displaying objects from the Kingdom of Benin.”

But this approach has angered many people in Benin City. 

Speaking to Reuters, bronze caster Chief Nosa Ogiakhia said: “They must bring it back. It is not their father’s property. The property belongs to the Oba of Benin.” 

The Ahiamwen Guild of artists and bronze casters says it wants to donate the contemporary artworks –which are not stained by the history of looting and colonialism – but celebrate Benin City’s modern-day vibrant culture. 

The new items put in proposal were unveiled in Benin City and include a 2-metre-by-2-metre bronze plaque with carvings depicting historical events in Benin. 

Many Black heritage experts believe the items should be given back.

Dr Tola Dabiri is a Black British heritage expert and one of the directors at Museum X CIC, which is home to the Black British Museum Project.

Speaking to The Voice, she said: “It is very important that Nigeria has access to their own artefacts, because it is a missing piece of the heritage jigsaw.

“It is important symbolically to get the Benin Bronzes back so that it makes Britain acknowledge that going around the world and looting treasures wasn’t a right thing to do and they need to put this right.” 

Dr Dabiri said she was uneasy about proposal of exchanging of new artwork for old ones adding: “Nigeria or any other African country should not have to bargain for their own things.” 

But she is adamant the main goal should be to get the priceless treasures back where they belong, even if it means the exchange. 

“It is important and vital we have access to our own artefacts in our own countries,” she added. 

Dr Dabiri believes the gesture will reflect positively on Nigeria.

The presence of African treasures and artefacts in UK institutions, has come under have increased criticism in recent years, 

In 2007, Ethiopia demanded the return of Maqdala-era artefacts from the Victoria and Albert Museum. 

The objects were taken from Ethiopia, when British troops attempted to overthrow the Ethiopian Empire during the Battle of Maqdala.

The items were put up for sale at a public auction but were pulled at the last minute, after intense criticisms from the Ethiopian Embassy in the UK.

On Wednesday, the London-based Scheherazade Foundation returned many objects that were looted from Ethiopia in 1868 and the move has been welcomed by Ethiopia’s National Heritage Restitution Committee.