🔗 Share this article

Nigeria's impressive new West African Art Museum (Mowaa) has landed in the center of area political conflicts during the week it was supposed to – but did not manage – to begin operations to the visitors for the first time.

The Major Initiative

The large-scale facility is located in the center of Benin City, administrative center of the southern state of Edo – and includes an excavation site and buildings planned by celebrated dual heritage architect Sir David Adjaye, particularly noted 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 making – and is planned to showcase both the heritage and the present of creativity in the area renowned for the cultural artifacts, historical pieces taken from the royal palace by British soldiers in the 19th Century.

Readiness and Potential

It is notable – and before the scheduled opening, Mowaa was active with staff committed to show it is a place that can compete with well-known art institutions in the Europe and America.

Internally preservation experts precisely unwrapped artworks from protective packaging, checking each artifact and taking meticulous records before positioning them on exhibition areas and stands.

Specialists fine-tuned temperature regulation systems. In the scientific facility, officers set up equipment intended to preserve centuries-old items.

Financial Backing and Economic Vision

The project has been the concept of entrepreneur Phillip Ihenacho – now Mowaa's managing director.

"I hope us to have a significant financial effect on area populations in this region," he explained to the press, adding that he wanted to make Benin City "a tourism center."

Mowaa, a charitable Nigerian institution, aims at generating over 30,000 employment opportunities and contributing over $80m per year to the area arts sector through partnerships and events.

Investment and Administrative Problems

It has required $25m to reach this point – money collected from different supporters, such as the international partners, the UK museum and the local administration.

But currently the state authorities has pulled the rug from below it – canceling the occupancy of the site on which the facility was constructed.

An official representative stated this was because in the early agreements it had identified as Edo Museum of West African Art – and it had subsequently eliminated "the state identifier" from its title.

Protests and Political Intervention

This statement was preceded by protests on the weekend, when activists entered the campus demanding it be designated the Royal Benin Museum.

A disruptive group insulted foreign guests at the venue ahead of the launch – requiring them to be hurried away under official guard.

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

Governance Issues

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

The majority of it results from internal conflicts at a local state level, as it was the ex-administrator Godwin Obaseki – whose term in office finished the previous year – who was a key supporter of the project.

And it appears the administration of the new governor, a close ally of the local traditional ruler, known as the traditional leader, may seek increased control in the project. The protesters on Sunday, for case, were demanding that the institution be positioned under the supervision of the current Oba.

The Benin Bronzes Controversy

This highlights the contentious issue of the cultural artifacts, one of Africa's most famous historical legacy.

Because though the museum does eventually begin operations, these objects will be noticeably missing.

They are metal, elephant tusk and wooden artworks that once decorated the king's residence of the historical empire before British soldiers took them in the colonial era during a punitive expedition.

Currently, thousands continue to be scattered across galleries in the West -- including the London museum, Berlin's Humboldt Forum and the New York institution.

Restitution Efforts

Their return has become one of the most disputed debates in the worldwide cultural sector. Roughly 150 have currently come back – and more are expected to return.

When plans for the museum in Benin City were originally proposed in the pre-pandemic era, the influential figures on the country's cultural sector hoped it would become their perfect venue – a modern campus to display them to the global audience.

But the situation became complicated recently after the national authorities announced that the royal leader would be the legal custodian of any returned bronzes – and the royal household pushed for a institution under the royal family's direct control, contrary to the wishes of the former governor.

Strategic Positioning

This placed Mowaa in a challenging circumstance: expressing a specific viewpoint on return while staying tactful on custodianship – and stressing its wider mission, which led to|c