🔗 Share this article

Nigeria's remarkable new Museum of West African Art (Mowaa) has landed in the center of regional political struggles during the period it was expected to – but was unable – to welcome visitors to the public for the first time.

The Ambitious Project

The large-scale campus is located in the heart of the Edo state capital, capital of the southern area of Edo – and features an archaeological dig and buildings planned by celebrated dual heritage architect Sir David Adjaye, most famous for the National Museum of African American History and Culture that opened in Washington DC in 2016.

It has been five years in the creation – and is designed to showcase both the past and the modern times of creativity in the area famous for the historic artworks, artworks taken from the royal palace by British troops in the 19th Century.

Setup and Prospects

It is impressive – and before the scheduled opening, Mowaa was active with employees determined to demonstrate it is a institution that can compete with established art institutions in the Europe and America.

Internally conservators meticulously unwrapped artworks from safety materials, checking each artifact and taking thorough notes before arranging them on display surfaces and plinths.

Specialists adjusted climate control systems. In the research lab, personnel adjusted devices designed to maintain historical objects.

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 significant economic benefit on area populations in this region," he told journalists, noting that he hoped to make Benin City "a cultural destination."

Mowaa, a not-for-profit Nigerian institution, sees itself generating in excess of 30,000 work positions and adding more than $80m annually to the regional creative economy through partnerships and activities.

Financial Support and Government Issues

It has taken $25m to get here – capital raised from multiple donors, including the French and German governments, the London institution and the Edo state government.

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

An Edo state spokesperson explained this was because in the initial documents it had identified as Edo Museum of West African Art – and it had subsequently eliminated "the state identifier" from its title.

Unrest and Official Response

This announcement was preceded by rallies on Sunday, when protesters stormed the complex calling for it be called the Museum of the Benin Kingdom.

A boisterous crowd insulted international visitors at the museum before the launch – compelling them to be escorted out under police escort.

President Bola Tinubu has also become involved to work to address the dispute, establishing a special task force to do some damage control.

Political Complexities

But in what way has this become so controversial – and such a PR disaster?

The majority of it comes down to local power struggles at a regional government level, as it was Edo's previous governor Godwin Obaseki – whose administration concluded last year – who was a primary advocate of the initiative.

And it looks like the government of the new governor, a key associate of the regional monarch, referred to as the traditional leader, may seek more of a stake in the initiative. The protesters on Sunday, for example, were demanding that the institution be placed under the control of the current Oba.

The Benin Bronzes Controversy

This brings into focus the contentious issue of the historical artworks, one of Africa's most famous cultural treasures.

Because though the facility does finally welcome visitors, these objects will be clearly not present.

They are brass, elephant tusk and wooden carvings that once adorned the king's residence of the Benin Kingdom before British soldiers looted them in 1897 during a punitive expedition.

Today, thousands remain scattered across museums in Europe and North America -- such as the UK institution, European center and the American museum.

Return Initiatives

Their repatriation has become one of the most contested debates in the international art community. Approximately 150 have now come back – and additional are due to follow.

When plans for the museum in Benin City were first announced in recent years, the movers and shakers on the national arts community anticipated it would become their natural home – a advanced complex to display them to the world.

But the waters were muddied two years ago after the central administration announced that the royal leader would be the proper guardian of returned objects – and the royal household pushed for a museum under the monarch's supervision, contrary to the desires of the ex-leader.

Political Navigation

This placed Mowaa in a challenging circumstance: expressing a definite position on repatriation while being careful on ownership – and stressing its larger purpose, which led to|c