🔗 Share this article

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

The Grand Vision

The 15-acre campus stands in the center of Benin's urban center, administrative center of the southern region of Edo – and includes an archaeological dig and facilities designed by celebrated Ghanaian-British architect Sir David Adjaye, best known for the Smithsonian African American Museum that was inaugurated in Washington DC in 2016.

It has been 60 months in the creation – and is envisioned to honor both the past and the current era of creativity in the locale known for the historic artworks, artworks stolen from the royal palace by British soldiers in the nineteenth century.

Readiness and Potential

It is impressive – and ahead of the scheduled opening, Mowaa was active with employees determined to prove it is a institution that can compete with established museums and galleries in the Western world.

Inside art restorers carefully revealed cultural items from secure wrapping, examining each piece and taking detailed records before positioning them on display surfaces and plinths.

Specialists fine-tuned climate control systems. In the materials science laboratory, staff members calibrated instruments intended to conserve ancient artefacts.

Funding and Economic Goals

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

"I aim us to have a significant economic impact on area populations in this region," he stated to the press, noting that he hoped to make the city "a tourism center."

Mowaa, a charitable local organization, aims at establishing more than 30,000 employment opportunities and adding above $80m each year to the regional creative economy through partnerships and events.

Funding Sources and Political Challenges

It has required $25m to reach this point – money collected from multiple donors, featuring the European governments, the London institution and the regional authorities.

But now the state authorities has withdrawn support from beneath it – terminating the use of the site on which the museum was built.

An official representative explained this was because in the early agreements it had called itself the Edo-named institution – and it had later eliminated "Edo" from its designation.

Protests and Political Intervention

This declaration followed demonstrations on recently, when activists entered the campus calling for it be called the Benin Royal Museum.

A rowdy group confronted foreign guests at the museum prior to the opening – requiring them to be quickly removed under security protection.

National leader Bola Tinubu has also stepped in to work to address the conflict, setting up a presidential committee to manage the situation.

Governance Issues

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

Much of it comes down to internecine rivalries at a area administrative level, as it was the ex-administrator Godwin Obaseki – whose administration finished last year – who was a key supporter of the project.

And it seems the administration of the recently elected official, a strong supporter of the local traditional ruler, called the Oba, may desire increased control in the project. The protesters on that day, for instance, were demanding that the museum be placed under the supervision of the current Oba.

The Historical Objects Discussion

This emphasizes the controversial matter of the Benin Bronzes, one of Africa's most famous historical legacy.

Because even if the museum does eventually welcome visitors, these bronzes will be conspicuously absent.

They are metal, elephant tusk and timber carvings that once adorned the monarch's home of the ancient kingdom before British soldiers took them in the colonial era during a military operation.

Currently, numerous remain scattered across institutions in Europe and North America -- including the British Museum, European center and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Repatriation Campaigns

Their return has become one of the most debated conversations in the global art world. Approximately 150 have currently been returned – and more are expected to return.

When proposals for the museum in the city were originally proposed in 2019, the influential figures on the national arts community anticipated it would become their perfect venue – a advanced facility to display them to the international community.

But the waters were muddied two years ago after the national authorities stated that the Oba would be the proper guardian of any returned bronzes – and the palace campaigned for a facility under the monarch's supervision, against the preferences of Obaseki.

Strategic Positioning

This left Mowaa in a delicate position: expressing a clear stance on repatriation while staying tactful on ownership – and highlighting its wider mission, which led to|c