Return of Our Stolen Heritage: The West Must Apologize, Not Patronize Africa

By George Omagbemi Sylvester | Published by SaharaWeeklyNG.com

In a landmark gesture, the Kingdom of the Netherlands has returned 119 looted colonial-era artefacts to Nigeria. This is not an act of generosity, but a long-overdue correction of historical theft. The Netherlands now joins a growing list of Western nations—including the United Kingdom, which returned 72 pieces, and the United States, which sent back 32 artefacts—in acknowledging a dark and undeniable past. Notably, Germany has agreed to return over 1,100 Benin Bronze pieces, most of which were looted during the infamous British punitive expedition of 1897, a colonial assault masked as military reprisal but truly motivated by greed.

Let it be made clear: this is not restitution—this is restoration. These artefacts are not mere objects; they are symbols of sovereignty, repositories of spiritual significance, and testimonies to the advanced civilizations that flourished in Africa long before the colonizers set foot on our soil. The West didn’t just steal gold, ivory, and artefacts—they stole identity, history, and dignity.

Colonial Theft Disguised as Civilization
The theft of African artefacts is one of the many facets of the criminal machinery of colonization. These treasures were pillaged during raids, invasions, and so-called “explorations” which were, in reality, organized plunder operations. The British invasion of the Benin Kingdom in 1897 remains one of the most egregious examples. Under the guise of retaliation, British forces razed the city of Benin, deposed the Oba, and looted thousands of bronze sculptures, ivory tusks, coral regalia, and sacred royal artefacts. These items now sit in the halls of the British Museum and other Western institutions, generating tourism revenue and prestige for the very nations that butchered, burned, and betrayed African kingdoms.

As the celebrated Nigerian novelist and thinker Chinua Achebe once said, “Until the lions have their own historians, the history of the hunt will always glorify the hunter.” The West has told their version of the story for too long. It is now time for Africa to speak its truth, not with bitterness, but with boldness.

Who Are the Real Thieves?
It is common for some in the West to portray African nations as hotbeds of corruption, banditry, and theft. But history exposes the hypocrisy of this narrative. The most systematic acts of robbery and vandalism were orchestrated by colonial powers. They carted away artefacts, natural resources, and even human beings—enslaved, dehumanized, and brutalized.

How ironic that the same people who now preach democracy and rule of law were once the masters of genocide, cultural erasure, and imperial theft.

Let’s be blunt: crime didn’t originate from Nigeria. Banditry didn’t begin in Africa. What is corruption compared to centuries of forced colonization, exploitation, and whitewashing of history? If a man steals bread to eat, he is jailed. If a nation steals kingdoms and sells humans, it becomes a “former empire.”

The return of these artefacts is a silent confession of guilt—a reluctant admission that the so-called “civilized” world built its museums with the blood and memory of the colonized.

The Symbolism of the Artefacts
These artefacts are more than ornaments. They carry spiritual, royal, and historical weight. The Benin Bronzes, for example, were not just artistic expressions—they were symbols of authority, ritual objects, and documentation of events encoded in bronze plaques. They held political significance in the governance of the kingdom.

To steal them was to decapitate a cultural system.

Prof. Wole Soyinka, Nigeria’s Nobel Laureate, once said, “The past is not dead. It is not even past.” What was stolen in 1897 continues to haunt the conscience of the world today. The artefacts are coming home not because of benevolence, but because truth is louder than denial.

Time for Reparations, Not Just Returns
While we commend these returns, we must not allow them to be used as diplomatic camouflage. There must be conversations around reparations, apologies, and investment in the restoration of damaged cultures. These stolen artefacts represent only a tiny fraction of what was taken.

Western countries must go beyond photo-ops and press releases. They must:

Return ALL looted artefacts unconditionally.

Offer formal apologies to the affected communities.

Provide financial support for heritage restoration, museums, and cultural institutions in Nigeria and across Africa.

Implement global museum reforms that prohibit the display of stolen artefacts.

If the Netherlands could return 119, the UK, US, and France must do more. If Germany can agree to return over 1,100, what is stopping the British Museum from doing the same? It is time to stop hoarding stolen glory.

Nigerians Must Protect Their Heritage
As these artefacts begin to return home, we Nigerians must also rise to the occasion. These pieces should not be hidden in dusty government offices or mismanaged by corrupt officials. We must build world-class museums, educate our youth on their historical value, and protect them with the seriousness they deserve.

The Oba of Benin, Ewuare II, has been instrumental in the global campaign to reclaim these artefacts. He has shown vision, leadership, and cultural stewardship. As he rightly declared, “These works are not mere art. They are part of our very soul. They were never for sale, and they must come home.”

Let us ensure that they are not just returned but respected and preserved.

Final Word: History Must Be Rewritten, Not Repeated
Let this wave of returns be the beginning of a decolonization of history. The world must accept that Africa was not a continent without culture, but a civilization disrupted by invasion. The artefacts prove it. The palaces, pyramids, and bronze sculptures prove it. And the resilience of African people today still proves it.

As Nigerians, let us stop internalizing lies that suggest we are born corrupt or inferior. Let us teach our children that the West did not bring civilization—they interrupted it.

As we receive our stolen artefacts back, let us also retrieve our dignity, truth, and unity.

We may forgive, but we must never forget.

George Omagbemi Sylvester
Journalist, Historian, and Pan-African Thinker
Published by SaharaWeeklyNG.com