Nigeria's stunning new Art Museum of West Africa (Mowaa) has found itself in the center of local power politics during the time it was expected to – but failed – to begin operations to the public for the first time.
The Ambitious Project
The six-hectare complex sits in the center of the Edo state capital, main city of the southern state of Edo – and contains an excavation site and facilities planned by celebrated British-Ghanaian architect Sir David Adjaye, best known for the Smithsonian African American Museum that was inaugurated in Washington in 2016.
It has been five years in the development – and is envisioned to showcase both the history and the current era of cultural innovation in the locale famous for the Benin Bronzes, historical pieces stolen from the king's palace by UK forces in the 19th Century.
Readiness and Potential
It is impressive – and ahead of the scheduled opening, Mowaa was active with staff determined to prove it is a place that can rival established museums and galleries in the Europe and America.
Inside preservation experts precisely unwrapped cultural items from protective packaging, examining each piece and taking thorough records before positioning them on display surfaces and plinths.
Specialists fine-tuned environmental controls. In the materials science laboratory, staff members adjusted equipment intended to preserve historical artefacts.
Funding and Economic Goals
The initiative has been the idea of entrepreneur Phillip Ihenacho – now Mowaa's managing director.
"I hope us to have a significant economic impact on area populations in the vicinity," he explained to journalists, mentioning that he hoped to make Benin City "a tourism center."
Mowaa, a non-profit local organization, sees itself creating more than 30,000 direct and indirect jobs and contributing over $80m annually to the regional creative economy through partnerships and activities.
Financial Support and Government Issues
It has taken $25m to achieve this stage – money raised from various donors, including the French and German governments, the British Museum and the Edo state government.
But at present the regional administration has withdrawn support from under it – revoking the occupancy of the land on which the facility was constructed.
An government communicator clarified this was because in the initial documents it had referred to itself as the Edo-named institution – and it had since eliminated "the state identifier" from its designation.
Protests and Political Intervention
This declaration was preceded by protests on Sunday, when activists stormed the complex calling for it be named the Museum of the Benin Kingdom.
A rowdy assembly insulted overseas dignitaries at the venue ahead of the inauguration – forcing them to be escorted out under police escort.
President Bola Tinubu has additionally stepped in to try and resolve the conflict, setting up a high-level committee to manage the situation.
Administrative Challenges
But in what way has this evolved into so politicised – and such a PR disaster?
A great deal of it stems from local power struggles at a regional government level, as it was Edo's previous governor Godwin Obaseki – whose term in office ended last year – who was a major backer of the initiative.
And it looks like the government of the new governor, a strong supporter of the area king, referred to as the Oba, may desire greater involvement in the initiative. The activists on that day, for case, were insisting that the museum be placed under the supervision of the current Oba.
The Historical Objects Discussion
This brings into focus the controversial matter of the cultural artifacts, one of Africa's most celebrated cultural treasures.
Because though the facility does finally begin operations, these artifacts will be conspicuously absent.
They are brass, ivory and timber carvings that once decorated the king's residence of the Benin Kingdom before colonial troops looted them in the colonial era during a colonial invasion.
Today, many remain spread across institutions in Western nations -- featuring the London museum, Berlin's Humboldt Forum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Repatriation Campaigns
Their repatriation has become one of the most contested conversations in the global art world. Approximately 150 have currently made their way home – and further are scheduled to be repatriated.
When proposals for the institution in Benin City were originally proposed in 2019, the influential figures on the national arts community expected it would become their perfect venue – a advanced facility to exhibit them to the world.
But the situation became complicated recently after the central administration declared that the traditional ruler would be the rightful owner of repatriated artifacts – and the palace pushed for a facility under the monarch's supervision, contrary to the preferences of the former governor.
Political Navigation
This placed Mowaa in a challenging circumstance: expressing a definite position on restitution while remaining diplomatic on guardianship – and highlighting its wider mission, which led to|c
