🔗 Share this article

Nigeria's stunning new Art Museum of West Africa (Mowaa) has ended up in the crosshairs of regional political struggles during the period it was scheduled to – but did not manage – to open its doors to the general public for the first time.

The Major Initiative

The large-scale facility sits in the center of the Edo state capital, main city of the southern area of Edo – and includes an archaeological dig and buildings designed by celebrated British-Ghanaian architect Sir David Adjaye, particularly noted for the Smithsonian African American Museum that opened in the US capital in 2016.

It has been five years in the making – and is designed to showcase both the past and the present of cultural innovation in the region known for the Benin Bronzes, historical pieces taken from the king's palace by UK forces in the 19th Century.

Setup and Prospects

It is notable – and prior to the planned opening, Mowaa was active with workers determined to demonstrate it is a place that can rival established museums and galleries in the West.

Internally art restorers meticulously opened cultural items from protective packaging, examining each artifact and taking detailed notes before positioning them on walls and plinths.

Technicians calibrated environmental controls. In the research lab, officers adjusted instruments intended to preserve ancient objects.

Investment and Economic Plans

The venture has been the idea of businessman Phillip Ihenacho – now Mowaa's managing director.

"I hope us to have a substantial economic impact on local residents in the vicinity," he told media outlets, mentioning that he wanted to make Benin City "a tourism center."

Mowaa, a not-for-profit national foundation, aims at generating more than 30,000 direct and indirect jobs and adding above $80m annually to the regional creative economy through partnerships and programming.

Funding Sources and Political Challenges

It has required $25m to get here – money raised from multiple supporters, including the French and German governments, the London institution and the local administration.

But at present the state authorities has pulled the rug from below it – canceling the utilization of the property on which the facility was constructed.

An government communicator explained this was because in the initial documents it had identified as Edo Museum of West African Art – and it had since removed "the state identifier" from its designation.

Demonstrations and Government Action

This declaration came after rallies on the weekend, when activists invaded the campus calling for it be designated the Royal Benin Museum.

A disruptive assembly insulted foreign guests at the museum before the inauguration – requiring them to be escorted out under security protection.

President Bola Tinubu has additionally stepped in to attempt to settle the dispute, establishing a high-level committee to manage the situation.

Administrative Challenges

But how has this become so divisive – and such a reputation problem?

Much of it comes down to local power struggles at a local state level, as it was the ex-administrator Godwin Obaseki – whose administration finished recently – who was a key supporter of the project.

And it seems the administration of the current leader, a strong supporter of the area king, known as the royal figure, may want increased control in the venture. The demonstrators on the weekend, for instance, were insisting that the facility be positioned under the supervision of the royal leader.

The Benin Bronzes Controversy

This brings into focus the controversial matter of the Benin Bronzes, one of the region's most famous cultural treasures.

Because although the institution does ultimately welcome visitors, these objects will be conspicuously absent.

They are metal, ivory and wooden artworks that once decorated the king's residence of the Benin Kingdom before colonial troops took them in the colonial era during a military operation.

Nowadays, many stay distributed across museums in Western nations -- featuring the British Museum, European center and the New York institution.

Repatriation Campaigns

Their homecoming has become one of the most debated discussions in the worldwide cultural sector. Approximately 150 have now been returned – and additional are due to follow.

When proposals for the institution in Benin City were first announced in the pre-pandemic era, the key players on the national arts community hoped it would become their natural home – a advanced campus to exhibit them to the world.

But the situation became complicated some time back after the federal government announced that the traditional ruler would be the legal custodian of returned objects – and the royal household pushed for a museum under the monarch's supervision, contrary to the preferences of the former governor.

Strategic Positioning

This placed Mowaa in a delicate position: expressing a definite position on restitution while remaining diplomatic on ownership – and emphasising its broader vision, which led to|c