🔗 Share this article

Nigeria's remarkable new West African Art Museum (Mowaa) has ended up in the center of local power politics during the period it was expected to – but failed – to begin operations to the general public for the first time.

The Grand Vision

The six-hectare campus stands in the heart of the Edo state capital, main city of the southern state of Edo – and includes an archaeological dig and buildings designed by high-profile Ghanaian-British architect Sir David Adjaye, most famous for the Smithsonian African American Museum that began operations in Washington DC in 2016.

It has been 60 months in the creation – and is planned to showcase both the history and the present of artistic expression in the region famous for the Benin Bronzes, cultural objects taken from the royal palace by British troops in the 1800s.

Setup and Prospects

It is remarkable – and ahead of the planned opening, Mowaa was energetic with workers determined to prove it is a institution that can compete with established cultural centers in the Western world.

Within conservators meticulously revealed artworks from protective packaging, examining each item and taking detailed documentation before arranging them on exhibition areas and bases.

Experts adjusted climate control systems. In the research lab, staff members calibrated instruments meant to conserve historical artefacts.

Financial Backing and Economic Vision

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

"I hope us to have a major financial effect on area populations around here," he explained to the press, noting that he wanted to make Benin City "a tourism center."

Mowaa, a non-profit Nigerian institution, aims at establishing more than 30,000 employment opportunities and contributing above $80m per year to the regional creative economy through partnerships and events.

Financial Support and Government Issues

It has needed $25m to achieve this stage – capital raised from multiple contributors, such as the international partners, the London institution and the regional authorities.

But now the local government has pulled the rug from under it – terminating the use of the site on which the building was erected.

An official representative clarified this was because in the early agreements it had identified as EMOWAA – and it had later dropped "the state identifier" from its title.

Demonstrations and Government Action

This announcement was preceded by demonstrations on recently, when activists entered the facility insisting it be called the Benin Royal Museum.

A boisterous crowd harassed international visitors at the venue ahead of the opening – forcing them to be escorted out under security protection.

National leader Bola Tinubu has also stepped in to attempt to settle the conflict, creating a high-level committee to address the controversy.

Administrative Challenges

But why has this evolved into so politicised – and such a PR disaster?

The majority of it stems from local power struggles at a regional government level, as it was the former state leader Godwin Obaseki – whose administration finished last year – who was a primary advocate of the project.

And it seems the government of the recently elected official, a strong supporter of the local traditional ruler, referred to as the traditional leader, may seek more of a stake in the venture. The protesters on the weekend, for example, were insisting that the facility be put under the control of the current Oba.

The Benin Bronzes Controversy

This emphasizes the controversial matter of the Benin Bronzes, one of the continent's most renowned artistic heritage.

Because though the institution does eventually welcome visitors, these bronzes will be clearly not present.

They are metal, elephant tusk and timber sculptures that once decorated the king's residence of the Benin Kingdom before UK forces stole them in the late nineteenth century during a military operation.

Nowadays, numerous continue to be distributed across museums in Europe and North America -- such as the British Museum, European center and the American museum.

Return Initiatives

Their repatriation has become one of the most debated discussions in the worldwide cultural sector. Roughly 150 have now been returned – and further are scheduled to be repatriated.

When plans for the institution in the city were originally proposed in 2019, the movers and shakers on Nigeria's art scene hoped it would become their perfect venue – a modern campus to exhibit them to the world.

But the situation became complicated recently after the national authorities announced that the Oba would be the legal custodian of returned objects – and the monarch's court advocated for a museum under the king's authority, contrary to the preferences of Obaseki.

Political Navigation

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