Ghana is preparing to receive around 2,000 cultural artifacts that were taken during the colonial era, in one of the largest restitution efforts to the country to date.
The pledge was made during the Next Steps Conference on Reparatory Justice and Restitution in Accra this week. Dutch and German ambassadors presented President John Dramani Mahama with a formal catalogue of the items set to be returned.
Speaking to delegates from more than 80 countries, President Mahama said the returns are part of a wider reckoning with history. He referenced a Ghana-sponsored United Nations resolution on the transatlantic slave trade, noting that the legacy of slavery and colonization continues to shape Africa, the Caribbean, and communities across the diaspora today
The German ambassador told the conference that repatriating the artifacts shows Germany’s commitment to confronting its colonial past and building stronger ties with Ghana.
The Dutch representative described the objects as more than museum exhibits. He called them “crucial markers of identity” for Ghanaian communities, and said returning them acknowledges the cultural harm caused by their removal.
According to conference organizers, the 2,000 items come from collections in both countries that were acquired during the 19th and early 20th centuries. While a full inventory has not yet been made public, officials said the catalogue handed to President Mahama includes royal regalia, ceremonial objects, textiles, and everyday tools that represent different ethnic groups in present-day Ghana.
The timeline for physical transfer has not been finalized, but both governments indicated the process will begin in phases over the next 12 to 18 months. Conservation teams from Ghana will work with their European counterparts to assess the condition of each item before shipment.
This announcement comes as pressure grows globally for European institutions to return cultural property taken during colonial rule.
For Ghana, it builds on smaller returns in recent years. In early 2024, 39 significant Asante royal artifacts were brought back to Kumasi for temporary display. The pieces, part of the Asantehene’s regalia, were loaned from the Fowler Museum in Los Angeles, the British Museum, and the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. They were exhibited in Kumasi, the historic capital of the Asante Empire, and marked the first time many of the objects had been seen in Ghana in 150 years.
That 2024 return was structured as a loan, not a permanent transfer. The new agreement with the Netherlands and Germany is different. Both governments have committed to full restitution, meaning ownership will be transferred to Ghanaian institutions
Last month, the UN General Assembly adopted a Ghana-led resolution that described the transatlantic slave trade and the enslavement of Africans as among the “gravest crimes against humanity.” The resolution, which passed with 123 votes in favor, 3 against, and 52 abstentions, encouraged member states to support initiatives aimed at reparatory justice. It also urged countries to consider formal apologies and contributions to a reparations fund, though it did not mandate them.
President Mahama referenced the resolution in Accra, arguing that restitution of cultural heritage is one concrete step toward addressing historical wrongs. “Artifacts are not just objects,” he told delegates. “They are memory, governance, and spirituality made material. When they are taken, a piece of a people’s story is taken with them.”
The resolution has received mixed reactions. Supporters across Africa and the Caribbean called it a historic acknowledgment. Some governments in Europe and North America expressed support for dialogue but stopped short of committing to financial reparations.
Still, the vote has given momentum to restitution campaigns. Nigeria, Benin, and Senegal have all made similar requests to European museums in the past two years
Once the artifacts arrive, Ghana’s Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture says they will be housed in national museums and regional centers, with priority given to communities of origin where possible.
Officials also plan to create a digital archive so Ghanaians in the diaspora can access images and histories of the objects. Education programs are being developed to link the returned items to school curricula on pre-colonial kingdoms, resistance, and cultural continuity.
Museum directors in Accra and Kumasi have welcomed the move but noted the challenges ahead. Proper storage, security, and climate control will be needed for fragile materials. There is also the question of how to display the items in ways that respect their original ceremonial use, rather than treating them only as historical artifacts.
Thousands of African artifacts remain in European collections. Researchers estimate that fewer than 5% of objects taken during colonialism have been returned. That is why the Netherlands-Germany pledge is being watched closely by other African nations pursuing similar claims.
Both Germany and the Netherlands have revised their museum policies in recent years to allow for returns. Germany returned Benin Bronzes to Nigeria in 2022. The Netherlands has committed to an “unconditional” return policy for objects taken during colonialism, provided there is a clear request from the country of originat the Accra conference, diplomats from both countries said this Ghana deal reflects that shift. It is no longer framed as a favor or a loan, but as correcting an injustice.
As President Mahama closed the session, he urged other nations holding Ghanaian heritage to follow suit. He also called on African countries to invest in the institutions that will care for what is returned.
The 2,000 artifacts are expected to start arriving in Ghana by mid-2027. For now, the catalogue presented in Accra serves as both an inventory and a promise — that objects taken more than a century ago will finally go home.
