In the recent decade, Nigeria has re-emerged on the world stage, advancing from its colonized history through reclaiming looted artifacts and reshaping international debates on restitution. This shift – from a colonized state to an active player in global affairs – calls for a reassessment of Nigeria’s role in international society: Not satisfied with being merely a participant, Nigeria is unlocking its potential and seizing the opportunity to become a leading voice in the global order by reversing the cultural losses in colonization.
The world’s interest in the cultural legacy of Nigeria can be traced back to the colonial period under British influence in the region in the nineteenth century. Through wars, missionary activities, crooked treaties, and brute conquest, European colonizers partitioned African land, its people, and its cultural heritage. Ironically, early European museums showcasing African artifacts originated as “cabinets of curiosity,” essentially established with the aim of “ethnography” and “studying Africa.” However, early understandings of African artifacts were still marked by demonization and condescension (primitivism). Compared to other types of museums, early ethnographic museums were accused of promoting inaccurate representations of the peoples they displayed. In short, early ethnographic museums were a source of prejudice against African cultures, attaching racism to African artifacts.
Through decolonization and the rise of cultural awareness, ethnographic museums now recognize the need to ensure reciprocal exchange with source communities as a principle of their modern operations. The international community’s correction of past misconceptions and its reevaluation of African culture has helped to restore dignity to all African cultures, but particularly, to Nigeria. As African culture becomes formally recognized in the art world and beyond, African countries like Nigeria gain power and prestige across the global community by reversing colonial legacies and reclaiming their cultural assets, following the culmination of nationalist movements and achievement of independence from Great Britain.
Prompted by UNESCO to actively fulfill international responsibilities, or used as a form of soft diplomacy, many countries have now expressed an apologetic attitude towards their colonial past and declared advocacy of artifacts repatriation to the African nations from which they were taken. Around the beginning of the twenty-first century, looted African artifacts were considered to be the “common heritage of humankind” and to have greater “universal value” in Western museums, where they could be studied and displayed for global audiences. Critics of restitution often argued that African institutions lacked the capacity to safeguard and preserve returned artifacts. Such narratives, however, ignore the strength of indigenous stewardship practices and perpetuate colonial hierarchies of knowledge and care. With Nigeria’s active participation on the international stage and with shifting global public opinion, opposition against restitution has diminished. One such voice against returning African artifacts came from the Declaration on the Importance and Value of Universal Museums, which defended museum collections from repatriation claims by asserting that their multicultural collections are for the benefit of all humanity. In the decade since the 2011 Declaration, however, these arguments grew less compelling as African nations demonstrated that they are also careful custodians of the artifacts that originated from their own soil.
Nigeria is now projecting its voice, initiating negotiations as an equal with prominent global leaders, to take back what belonged to them. In a reversal of the typical, historical global hierarchy, Europe is now responding to Nigeria’s demands. Nigeria has a promising prospect, and it starts with a renaissance of its culture, recentering attention and debates on the artifact repatriation agenda, reclaiming the heritage of this once culturally wealthy nation. Nigeria has recently received more than 100 precious artifacts, the iconic Benin Bronzes, from a Dutch museum, which is the largest single return. The return of the Benin Bronzes, Nigeria’s well-known national treasure, is part of a larger movement of museums and institutions across Europe and the United States repatriating artifacts to Nigeria. For example, Germany has
committed to returning over 1,130 Benin Bronzes to Nigeria; the Smithsonian Institution returned 29 Benin Bronzes to Nigeria in 2022; Britain’s Horniman Museum has also returned ownership of 72 Benin bronzes to Nigeria.
Aside from these examples, restitution amplifies Nigeria’s rise as an emerging cultural power. Specifically, restitution provides economic benefits through directing tourism to Nigeria. It Republic of Benin, for example, established a tourism department for cultural heritage in 2016, and Ghana’s Year of Return program also drew tourists to see its newly repatriated art. In 2019, Ghana attracted over one million diaspora visitors and generated $1.9 billion in additional revenue for the country. In Benin City, Nigeria, the Museum of West African Art (MOWAA) announced its opening on November 11, 2025. The MOWAA opening expects another significant flourishing in African tourism. The continent is reclaiming the benefits of its ancestral heritage, which Europeans had long exploited for profit.
In addition, Nigeria’s cultural and natural resources have always attracted global powers. What makes today different from the past is that, with the end of colonialism and Nigeria’s greater independence, major world powers now seek to establish diplomatic relations with Nigeria. In the first quarter of 2025, Nigeria received US$5.64 billion in foreign investment through equity, loans, and other financial instruments, with the United Kingdom ranked the highest at US$3.68 billion, 62 percent of the total.
While these investments are constructive, a common misperception continues that African countries are only improving their status because of the involvement of existing global leaders. However, critics fail to see that Africa has also been independently expanding their weight in the global forum. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of Nigeria takes lead in demanding a sweeping reform in the council for permanent Nigerian and African seats, arguing, “The time for half-measures and incremental progress is over. Africa must be heard, and its demands for justice and equity must be met.” This underscores that Nigeria is no longer passively waiting for recognition but is actively, and immediately, pushing for structural reforms of the international system. In fact, African leaders are working together on this shared vision to build greater collective strength. President Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone, who holds the rotating presidency of the UN Security Council, supports this proposal; he claims that it is only a matter of time, and that they have the strength and the cases to prove to the international community that they deserve these seats, symbolizing a leading discourse power in the global community.
“Africa Is Not Broke, Africa is Broken,” said Brian Kagoro. Nigeria, a country with a profound African history, possesses abundant resources from its past, with cultural artifacts being among the most significant. By reclaiming these artifacts, Nigeria is repairing the scars of colonialism and taking the lead in building prestige within the global community. The country has never lacked power or resources—whether cultural or otherwise—it has only been undermined. Through the rectification of colonial injustices and the revival of cultural understanding, Nigeria is reclaiming what was once taken away and is making greater strides than ever in its recovery.