🔗 Share this article

The nation's stunning new Art Museum of West Africa (Mowaa) has found itself in the crosshairs of local power politics during the period it was scheduled to – but failed – to begin operations to the general public for the very first time.

The Ambitious Project

The large-scale complex is located in the core of Benin City, main city of the southern area of Edo – and includes an archaeological dig and buildings designed by celebrated British-Ghanaian architect Sir David Adjaye, best known for the National Museum of African American History and Culture that opened in the US capital in 2016.

It has been half a decade in the creation – and is planned to celebrate both the heritage and the modern times of artistic expression in the region renowned for the Benin Bronzes, artworks stolen from the king's palace by UK forces in the 1800s.

Preparation and Promise

It is remarkable – and before the planned opening, Mowaa was active with workers determined to prove it is a place that can rival well-known cultural centers in the Western world.

Inside art restorers carefully revealed cultural items from secure wrapping, checking each item and taking detailed documentation before placing them on walls and stands.

Specialists calibrated environmental controls. In the research lab, personnel adjusted devices meant to preserve centuries-old artefacts.

Funding and Economic Goals

The initiative has been the brainchild of entrepreneur Phillip Ihenacho – now Mowaa's chief executive.

"I hope us to have a significant economic impact on communities in this region," he stated to journalists, mentioning that he aspired to make Benin City "a cultural destination."

Mowaa, a charitable local organization, envisions itself creating more than 30,000 direct and indirect jobs and providing more than $80m per year to the regional creative economy through partnerships and programming.

Investment and Administrative Problems

It has needed $25m to reach this point – money gathered from multiple supporters, including the international partners, the British Museum and the regional authorities.

But now the local government has revoked permission from beneath it – revoking the occupancy of the site on which the building was erected.

An Edo state spokesperson clarified this was because in the original paperwork it had referred to itself as the Edo-named institution – and it had subsequently removed "the state identifier" from its name.

Unrest and Official Response

This announcement followed demonstrations on Sunday, when activists stormed the campus insisting it be called the Benin Royal Museum.

A boisterous group insulted foreign guests at the museum prior to the launch – compelling them to be escorted out under security protection.

Head of state Bola Tinubu has also intervened to try and resolve the dispute, creating a presidential committee to manage the situation.

Governance Issues

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

A great deal of it results from local power struggles at a regional government level, as it was the former state leader Godwin Obaseki – whose term in office finished recently – who was a major backer of the museum.

And it seems the government of the new governor, a close ally of the regional monarch, called the royal figure, may seek greater involvement in the project. The activists on the weekend, for instance, were calling for that the facility be positioned under the supervision of the current Oba.

The Historical Objects Discussion

This brings into focus the contentious issue of the Benin Bronzes, one of the continent's most famous artistic heritage.

Because though the museum does ultimately begin operations, these bronzes will be conspicuously absent.

They are brass, ivory and wooden artworks that once embellished the monarch's home of the historical empire before colonial troops stole them in 1897 during a military operation.

Today, numerous remain scattered across institutions in Western nations -- including the British Museum, European center and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Repatriation Campaigns

Their homecoming has become one of the most contested conversations in the worldwide cultural sector. Approximately 150 have currently made their way home – and additional are expected to return.

When proposals for the facility in the urban center were originally proposed in 2019, the key players on Nigeria's art scene anticipated it would become their perfect venue – a advanced facility to exhibit them to the global audience.

But the situation became complicated recently after the national authorities announced that the royal leader would be the proper guardian of any returned bronzes – and the monarch's court pushed for a institution under the king's authority, opposing the desires of the former governor.

Diplomatic Challenges

This left Mowaa in a difficult situation: asserting a specific viewpoint on return while staying tactful on guardianship – and emphasising its wider mission, which led to|c