🔗 Share this article

Nigeria's stunning new West African Art Museum (Mowaa) has landed in the crosshairs of area political conflicts during the time it was scheduled to – but did not manage – to open its doors to the public for the very first time.

The Major Initiative

The six-hectare campus sits in the core of Benin City, main city of the southern region of Edo – and features an archaeological dig and structures created by renowned dual heritage architect Sir David Adjaye, most famous for the Smithsonian African American Museum that opened in Washington in 2016.

It has been 60 months in the making – and is envisioned to honor both the past and the modern times of artistic expression in the region renowned for the Benin Bronzes, artworks looted from the city's royal palace by British soldiers in the nineteenth century.

Preparation and Promise

It is impressive – and ahead of the planned opening, Mowaa was energetic with workers determined to prove it is a place that can rival well-known cultural centers in the West.

Inside preservation experts carefully unwrapped artworks from safety materials, examining each piece and taking detailed records before positioning them on exhibition areas and bases.

Experts fine-tuned climate control systems. In the materials science laboratory, staff members set up equipment intended to maintain centuries-old items.

Financial Backing and Economic Vision

The initiative has been the concept of businessman Phillip Ihenacho – presently Mowaa's executive director.

"I hope us to have a major financial effect on local residents in the vicinity," he stated to media outlets, mentioning that he wanted to make the city "a cultural destination."

Mowaa, a non-profit national foundation, envisions itself creating over 30,000 direct and indirect jobs and contributing over $80m per year to the regional creative economy through collaborations and activities.

Funding Sources and Political Challenges

It has taken $25m to get here – capital gathered from multiple contributors, including the European governments, the London institution and the Edo state government.

But now the state authorities has pulled the rug from under it – canceling the occupancy of the land on which the building was erected.

An Edo state spokesperson stated this was because in the early agreements it had identified as the Edo-named institution – and it had since dropped "the regional name" from its title.

Protests and Political Intervention

This statement came after protests on recently, when protesters entered the complex calling for it be named the Museum of the Benin Kingdom.

A disruptive crowd confronted international visitors at the museum before the opening – requiring them to be escorted out under official guard.

National leader Bola Tinubu has even become involved to try and resolve the tensions, setting up a presidential committee to manage the situation.

Political Complexities

But how has this evolved into so controversial – and such a PR disaster?

Much of it results from internecine rivalries at a area administrative level, as it was Edo's previous governor Godwin Obaseki – whose administration concluded last year – who was a major backer of the museum.

And it seems the government of the current leader, a close ally of the regional monarch, called the royal figure, may seek increased control in the project. The protesters on that day, for example, were calling for that the museum be positioned under the supervision of the royal leader.

The Benin Bronzes Controversy

This brings into focus the contentious issue of the cultural artifacts, one of the continent's most renowned artistic heritage.

Because although the museum does eventually welcome visitors, these objects will be noticeably missing.

They are brass, elephant tusk and timber sculptures that once decorated the king's residence of the Benin Kingdom before British soldiers took them in 1897 during a colonial invasion.

Nowadays, many continue to be distributed across institutions in the West -- featuring the London museum, Berlin's Humboldt Forum and the New York institution.

Return Initiatives

Their repatriation has become one of the most disputed conversations in the worldwide cultural sector. About 150 have now made their way home – and further are due to follow.

When plans for the facility in the urban center were initially revealed in recent years, the key players on the country's cultural sector expected it would become their perfect venue – a modern facility to exhibit them to the global audience.

But the waters were muddied recently after the federal government declared that the royal leader would be the legal custodian of any returned bronzes – and the palace advocated for a museum under the monarch's supervision, against the desires of Obaseki.

Diplomatic Challenges

This left Mowaa in a delicate position: maintaining a definite position on repatriation while being careful on guardianship – and highlighting its broader vision, which led to|c