Repatriated Benin artefacts taken during the 1897 British expedition will be displayed to the public as part of the 10th coronation anniversary celebrations of the Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II.
Lucky Imasuen, chairman of the Anniversary Organising Committee and former Edo State Deputy Governor, announced this during a press conference in Benin City regarding the month-long event.
The exhibition, organized by the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM), will allow the public to view cultural treasures successfully returned to Nigeria. Imasuen noted that the restitution aligns with the ongoing advocacy efforts of Oba Ewuare II and his ancestors to recover the Benin heritage artefacts taken abroad.
He highlighted that a federal directive mandates that all repatriated artefacts return to their original locations.
“Those artefacts that were stolen by the British invaders in 1897… are gradually making their way back home.
With the leadership of this great Oba, an effort started by his grandfather, passed over to his father and now to him, these artefacts are gradually making their way back home,” Imasuen said.
Beyond the artefact exhibition, the celebrations will feature extensive cultural performances representing multiple regions.
Cultural troupes from all 18 Local Government areas of Edo State, alongside groups from Delta, Ondo, and Anambra states, will take part.
Resident Yoruba, Igbo, and Hausa communities in the State will also showcase their heritages during the celebration.
“You know the Oba of Benin is not just the Oba for the Benin, he is the Oba for the entire people,” Imasuen noted.
Additionally, the schedule includes a procession modeled after the Calabar Carnival, starting near the Ogba Zoo and moving through Airport Road to the Oba Akenzua Cultural Centre.
A musical concert featuring prominent Edo artists — including Influence Akaba, Fabomo, Young Bolivia, and headlined by Shallipopi—will also be part of the festivities.
As Oba Ewuare II marks a decade on the throne of his forebears, this landmark exhibition of long-awaited repatriated treasures—woven together with vibrant multi-ethnic celebrations and modern musical showcases—not only honors a triumphant chapter in the restitution of stolen African heritage, but also cements a historic homecoming for the soul of the Benin.
