🔗 Share this article

Nigeria's stunning new West African Art Museum (Mowaa) has landed in the center of regional political struggles during the time it was supposed to – but did not manage – to open its doors to the visitors for the initial occasion.

The Ambitious Project

The large-scale campus stands in the center of Benin's urban center, administrative center of the southern region of Edo – and includes an excavation site and facilities created by celebrated dual heritage architect Sir David Adjaye, best known for the Smithsonian African American Museum that was inaugurated in Washington DC in 2016.

It has been five years in the making – and is designed to honor both the heritage and the present of artistic expression in the locale known for the cultural artifacts, artworks taken from the royal palace by British troops in the 19th Century.

Setup and Prospects

It is remarkable – and before the anticipated opening, Mowaa was active with workers resolved to show it is a venue that can compete with established museums and galleries in the Western world.

Inside art restorers carefully revealed cultural items from secure wrapping, checking each piece and taking detailed documentation before positioning them on walls and stands.

Experts calibrated climate control systems. In the scientific facility, officers calibrated equipment meant to maintain ancient artefacts.

Financial Backing and Economic Vision

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

"I hope us to have a substantial economic benefit on area populations in this region," he told the press, mentioning that he hoped to make Benin City "a tourism center."

Mowaa, a non-profit Nigerian institution, aims at creating over 30,000 work positions and providing above $80m annually to the area arts sector through collaborations and programming.

Investment and Administrative Problems

It has needed $25m to get here – capital raised from different supporters, including the French and German governments, the British Museum and the regional authorities.

But currently the regional administration has pulled the rug from below it – canceling the occupancy of the land on which the facility was constructed.

An government communicator explained this was because in the early agreements it had called itself Edo Museum of West African Art – and it had since eliminated "Edo" from its designation.

Unrest and Official Response

This statement was preceded by demonstrations on recently, when people invaded the campus insisting it be designated the Museum of the Benin Kingdom.

A rowdy group insulted foreign guests at the venue ahead of the launch – requiring them to be escorted out under official guard.

National leader Bola Tinubu has even become involved to attempt to settle the dispute, setting up a special task force to address the controversy.

Governance Issues

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

Much of it comes down to internal conflicts at a local state level, as it was the former state leader Godwin Obaseki – whose term in office ended recently – who was a key supporter of the initiative.

And it looks like the administration of the current leader, a key associate of the area king, known as the Oba, may desire greater involvement in the initiative. The activists on the weekend, for instance, were calling for that the facility be put under the control of the current Oba.

The Historical Objects Discussion

This highlights the contentious issue of the Benin Bronzes, one of Africa's most renowned cultural treasures.

Because although the facility does eventually begin operations, these objects will be clearly not present.

They are brass, elephant tusk and wooden carvings that once embellished the royal palace of the historical empire before UK forces took them in the colonial era during a military operation.

Currently, many stay scattered across galleries in the West -- featuring the UK institution, German museum and the American museum.

Repatriation Campaigns

Their repatriation has become one of the most debated discussions in the global art world. About 150 have presently made their way home – and more are scheduled to be repatriated.

When proposals for the museum in the urban center were first announced in 2019, the key players on the country's cultural sector expected it would become their perfect venue – a advanced facility to show them off to the global audience.

But the situation became complicated recently after the central administration stated that the royal leader would be the legal custodian of any returned bronzes – and the monarch's court campaigned for a facility under the monarch's supervision, contrary to the preferences of the former governor.

Strategic Positioning

This placed Mowaa in a delicate position: asserting a definite position on repatriation while staying tactful on guardianship – and stressing its wider mission, which led to|c