But last month, London's Horniman Museum, which is a private charity, handed back dozens of items including some Benin Bronzes to Nigerian ownership - making it the first museum in the UK to officially take such action on this scale.
Nigeria's National Commission for Museums and Monuments has issued formal repatriation requests to museums across the world.
In 2026, the government plans to open the Edo Museum of West African Art in Benin City, which is being designed by British-Ghanaian architect Sir David Adjaye, to house the largest collection of Benin Bronzes ever assembled.
