🔗 Share this article

The nation's impressive new Art Museum of West Africa (Mowaa) has landed in the middle of local power politics during the week it was scheduled to – but was unable – to open its doors to the public for the very first time.

The Major Initiative

The large-scale campus stands in the center of Benin City, administrative center of the southern state of Edo – and includes an historical dig and buildings planned by renowned dual heritage architect Sir David Adjaye, best known for the National Museum of African American History and Culture that opened in Washington DC in 2016.

It has been half a decade in the development – and is planned to showcase both the heritage and the current era of creativity in the region renowned for the historic artworks, historical pieces looted from the king's palace by British troops in the nineteenth century.

Setup and Prospects

It is impressive – and before the planned opening, Mowaa was energetic with staff resolved to show it is a venue that can rival well-known art institutions in the Western world.

Internally preservation experts meticulously unwrapped artworks from safety materials, checking each artifact and taking detailed documentation before arranging them on walls and stands.

Experts fine-tuned environmental controls. In the scientific facility, personnel adjusted equipment designed to maintain ancient items.

Funding and Economic Goals

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

"I hope us to have a major economic benefit on area populations around here," he stated to the press, noting that he hoped to make this urban center "an arts hub."

Mowaa, a non-profit national foundation, aims at creating more than 30,000 employment opportunities and adding over $80m per year to the regional creative economy through alliances and activities.

Investment and Administrative Problems

It has required $25m to achieve this stage – funds gathered from different donors, including the international partners, the UK museum and the regional authorities.

But now the local government has pulled the rug from beneath it – revoking the use of the property on which the building was erected.

An Edo state spokesperson explained this was because in the original paperwork it had referred to itself as EMOWAA – and it had later removed "the regional name" from its name.

Unrest and Official Response

This statement was preceded by protests on the weekend, when protesters entered the facility calling for it be designated the Benin Royal Museum.

A disruptive assembly insulted foreign guests at the museum prior to the launch – forcing them to be hurried away under security protection.

President Bola Tinubu has also intervened to try and resolve the dispute, establishing a high-level committee to address the controversy.

Political Complexities

But in what way has this become so controversial – and such a public relations crisis?

Much of it comes down to internecine rivalries at a regional government level, as it was the former state leader Godwin Obaseki – whose administration finished the previous year – who was a major backer of the project.

And it looks like the government of the new governor, a key associate of the area king, referred to as the royal figure, may want increased control in the venture. The protesters on the weekend, for case, were demanding that the institution be placed under the authority 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 even if the museum does eventually open, these bronzes will be clearly not present.

They are brass, elephant tusk and wooden artworks that once embellished the king's residence of the Benin Kingdom before British soldiers looted them in 1897 during a military operation.

Nowadays, thousands remain scattered across galleries in Western nations -- featuring the British Museum, German museum and the American museum.

Restitution Efforts

Their homecoming has become one of the most debated debates in the global art world. About 150 have now come back – and further are expected to return.

When plans for the museum in the city were initially revealed in recent years, the movers and shakers on Nigeria's art scene anticipated it would become their ideal location – a advanced campus to show them off to the international community.

But the waters were muddied recently after the central administration stated that the traditional ruler would be the proper guardian of returned objects – and the royal household advocated for a institution under the king's authority, opposing the preferences of the ex-leader.

Political Navigation

This left Mowaa in a difficult situation: asserting a clear stance on return while staying tactful on ownership – and stressing its broader vision, which led to|c