Three Swiss museums have transferred 18 royal and ceremonial artifacts from the Kingdom of Benin back to Nigeria, adding momentum to the global return of cultural heritage objects.
The handover took place at the University of Zurich, where Swiss Federal Councillor Elisabeth Baume-Schneider and Nigeria's Minister of Culture, Hannatu Musa Musawa, marked the occasion. The University of Zurich's Ethnographic Museum returned 14 pieces, while Museum Rietberg Zurich and the Musée d'Ethnographie de Genève contributed two objects each.
Among the items is an Eroro, a four-sided ceremonial bell used in royal rites, as well as a container for herbs and medicines linked to Benin spiritual traditions. According to the University of Zurich, some of the works will be shown at the National Museum in Lagos, while most will move to Edo State and be temporarily housed in Benin City under the National Commission for Museums and Monuments.
This latest transfer follows a wider pattern of restitutions to Nigeria, including a major return from the Netherlands last year. Together, these steps reflect a growing international focus on cultural stewardship, museum ethics, and shared historical responsibility. In the years ahead, such returns may help reshape how institutions preserve and present world heritage.