🔗 Share this article

Nigeria's impressive new West African Art Museum (Mowaa) has landed in the middle of local power politics during the period it was supposed to – but was unable – to welcome visitors to the public for the first time.

The Major Initiative

The six-hectare facility is located in the heart of Benin's urban center, main city of the southern state of Edo – and includes an archaeological dig and buildings planned by high-profile dual heritage architect Sir David Adjaye, best known for the National Museum of African American History and Culture that began operations in Washington DC in 2016.

It has been five years in the creation – and is envisioned to celebrate both the past and the present of cultural innovation in the area known for the Benin Bronzes, cultural objects stolen from the city's royal palace by British soldiers in the 19th Century.

Setup and Prospects

It is remarkable – and before the planned opening, Mowaa was energetic with staff determined to show it is a place that can rival established museums and galleries in the West.

Within preservation experts meticulously opened artworks from safety materials, examining each artifact and taking meticulous notes before placing them on exhibition areas and stands.

Specialists calibrated environmental controls. In the scientific facility, staff members set up instruments designed to conserve centuries-old items.

Funding and Economic Goals

The venture has been the idea of businessman Phillip Ihenacho – currently Mowaa's managing director.

"I hope us to have a substantial economic impact on local residents in the vicinity," he stated to the press, adding that he wanted to make the city "a cultural destination."

Mowaa, a charitable national foundation, aims at establishing over 30,000 direct and indirect jobs and contributing over $80m per year to the local cultural industry through collaborations and events.

Funding Sources and Political Challenges

It has needed $25m to achieve this stage – funds gathered from various supporters, such as the European governments, the UK museum and the Edo state government.

But currently the regional administration has withdrawn support from below it – terminating the occupancy of the land on which the building was erected.

An official representative clarified this was because in the original paperwork it had called itself Edo Museum of West African Art – and it had since dropped "the regional name" from its name.

Protests and Political Intervention

This declaration followed protests on Sunday, when protesters invaded the campus calling for it be named the Royal Benin Museum.

A boisterous group insulted international visitors at the venue ahead of the opening – requiring them to be quickly removed under official guard.

President Bola Tinubu has also stepped in to try and resolve the conflict, setting up a presidential committee to do some damage control.

Administrative Challenges

But how has this turned into so politicised – and such a reputation problem?

Much of it stems from local power struggles at a area administrative level, as it was Edo's previous governor Godwin Obaseki – whose governance finished recently – who was a primary advocate of the project.

And it looks like the leadership of the current leader, a strong supporter of the area king, called the Oba, may desire increased control in the project. The activists on that day, for case, were demanding that the museum be positioned under the supervision of the royal leader.

The Cultural Artifacts Debate

This highlights the controversial matter of the cultural artifacts, one of the region's most renowned cultural treasures.

Because although the museum does eventually welcome visitors, these objects will be clearly not present.

They are metal, elephant tusk and wooden sculptures that once decorated the monarch's home of the Benin Kingdom before UK forces stole them in 1897 during a colonial invasion.

Currently, many continue to be spread across galleries in Western nations -- such as the London museum, European center and the American museum.

Return Initiatives

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

When plans for the facility in Benin City were first announced in the pre-pandemic era, the key players on Nigeria's art scene hoped it would become their natural home – a advanced campus to display them to the global audience.

But the waters were muddied some time back after the national authorities stated that the Oba would be the proper guardian of repatriated artifacts – and the palace pushed for a museum under the royal family's direct control, contrary to the preferences of Obaseki.

Political Navigation

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