🔗 Share this article

Nigeria's remarkable new Museum of West African Art (Mowaa) has ended up in the center of regional political struggles during the week it was expected to – but did not manage – to welcome visitors to the public for the first time.

The Grand Vision

The large-scale campus sits in the center of the Edo state capital, administrative center of the southern area of Edo – and features an historical dig and facilities created by high-profile dual heritage architect Sir David Adjaye, particularly noted for the Smithsonian African American Museum that opened in Washington DC in 2016.

It has been five years in the creation – and is envisioned to honor both the heritage and the current era of creativity in the region known for the Benin Bronzes, artworks taken from the king's palace by British troops in the 19th Century.

Preparation and Promise

It is impressive – and ahead of the anticipated opening, Mowaa was buzzing with employees committed to prove it is a venue that can rival established cultural centers in the West.

Inside preservation experts carefully unwrapped art pieces from protective packaging, examining each item and taking detailed notes before arranging them on display surfaces and bases.

Technicians fine-tuned temperature regulation systems. In the scientific facility, personnel calibrated instruments intended to maintain historical artefacts.

Funding and Economic Goals

The project has been the idea of entrepreneur Phillip Ihenacho – currently Mowaa's managing director.

"I hope us to have a major financial effect on area populations in this region," he told the press, adding that he aspired to make Benin City "an arts hub."

Mowaa, a charitable Nigerian institution, envisions itself creating more than 30,000 work positions and contributing over $80m per year to the regional creative economy through collaborations and activities.

Financial Support and Government Issues

It has needed $25m to get here – money gathered from various donors, such as the European governments, the London institution and the Edo state government.

But now the local government has pulled the rug from beneath it – canceling the occupancy of the property on which the facility was constructed.

An official representative explained this was because in the initial documents it had identified as the Edo-named institution – and it had since removed "Edo" from its title.

Unrest and Official Response

This declaration followed protests on Sunday, when protesters entered the complex demanding it be called the Benin Royal Museum.

A rowdy assembly insulted foreign guests at the venue ahead of the inauguration – compelling them to be quickly removed under security protection.

National leader Bola Tinubu has also become involved to try and resolve the conflict, creating a special task force to manage the situation.

Political Complexities

But why has this turned into so divisive – and such a PR disaster?

Much of it comes down to local power struggles at a area administrative level, as it was the ex-administrator Godwin Obaseki – whose administration ended last year – who was a primary advocate of the initiative.

And it looks like the leadership of the new governor, a key associate of the local traditional ruler, referred to as the traditional leader, may want more of a stake in the project. The activists on Sunday, for instance, were demanding that the institution be placed under the supervision of the royal leader.

The Benin Bronzes Controversy

This emphasizes the disputed topic of the Benin Bronzes, one of the continent's most famous historical legacy.

Because though the museum does eventually welcome visitors, these objects will be conspicuously absent.

They are brass, elephant tusk and timber artworks that once embellished the monarch's home of the Benin Kingdom before colonial troops took them in 1897 during a punitive expedition.

Currently, many stay spread across institutions in the West -- featuring the London museum, German museum and the American museum.

Restitution Efforts

Their return has become one of the most disputed debates in the international art community. Approximately 150 have presently been returned – and further are scheduled to be repatriated.

When proposals for the museum in the city were initially revealed in recent years, the influential figures on the national arts community expected it would become their perfect venue – a advanced complex to display them to the international community.

But the waters were muddied two years ago after the national authorities announced that the royal leader would be the proper guardian of repatriated artifacts – and the royal household advocated for a institution under the royal family's direct control, contrary to the preferences of the former governor.

Diplomatic Challenges

This placed Mowaa in a delicate position: maintaining a definite position on restitution while staying tactful on custodianship – and highlighting its larger purpose, which led to|c