🔗 Share this article

Nigeria's remarkable new Art Museum of West Africa (Mowaa) has landed in the crosshairs of local power politics during the week it was scheduled to – but was unable – to open its doors to the visitors for the very first time.

The Ambitious Project

The 15-acre facility sits in the heart of Benin City, administrative center of the southern area of Edo – and includes an historical dig and facilities planned by high-profile British-Ghanaian architect Sir David Adjaye, particularly noted for the National Museum of African American History and Culture that was inaugurated in Washington DC in 2016.

It has been five years in the creation – and is envisioned to showcase both the history and the current era of artistic expression in the region famous for the Benin Bronzes, artworks taken from the city's royal palace by British soldiers in the nineteenth century.

Preparation and Promise

It is impressive – and ahead of the anticipated opening, Mowaa was buzzing with employees committed to prove it is a institution that can rival renowned cultural centers in the Europe and America.

Internally preservation experts carefully opened art pieces from safety materials, examining each item and taking detailed notes before arranging them on exhibition areas and plinths.

Technicians calibrated environmental controls. In the materials science laboratory, officers calibrated equipment designed to maintain ancient items.

Financial Backing and Economic Vision

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

"I hope us to have a major economic benefit on area populations around here," he stated to media outlets, mentioning that he aspired to make Benin City "a tourism center."

Mowaa, a charitable Nigerian institution, sees itself generating in excess of 30,000 employment opportunities and adding above $80m annually to the local cultural industry through collaborations and events.

Financial Support and Government Issues

It has taken $25m to achieve this stage – capital raised from multiple contributors, including the French and German governments, the London institution and the regional authorities.

But at present the local government has revoked permission from beneath it – revoking the use of the land on which the museum was built.

An government communicator clarified this was because in the initial documents it had referred to itself as Edo Museum of West African Art – and it had later removed "the regional name" from its name.

Demonstrations and Government Action

This announcement followed protests on Sunday, when protesters invaded the facility calling for it be named the Museum of the Benin Kingdom.

A boisterous group insulted international visitors at the venue prior to the launch – forcing them to be escorted out under police escort.

President Bola Tinubu has even become involved to try and resolve the dispute, setting up a special task force to manage the situation.

Political Complexities

But why has this become so controversial – and such a public relations crisis?

A great deal of it comes down to internal conflicts at a area administrative level, as it was the former state leader 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, called the Oba, may seek more of a stake in the initiative. The demonstrators on that day, for instance, were calling for that the facility be placed under the authority of the current Oba.

The Benin Bronzes Controversy

This emphasizes the contentious issue of the Benin Bronzes, one of Africa's most famous historical legacy.

Because although the museum does eventually open, these objects will be noticeably missing.

They are brass, ivory and timber carvings that once decorated the monarch's home of the historical empire before colonial troops stole them in 1897 during a colonial invasion.

Currently, many stay spread across institutions in the West -- including the London museum, Berlin's Humboldt Forum and the New York institution.

Repatriation Campaigns

Their repatriation has become one of the most contested discussions in the global art world. Roughly 150 have currently been returned – and more are expected to return.

When plans for the museum in Benin City were originally proposed in the pre-pandemic era, the movers and shakers on the country's cultural sector anticipated it would become their ideal location – a state-of-the-art campus to display them to the world.

But the situation became complicated recently after the central administration declared that the royal leader would be the legal custodian of returned objects – and the monarch's court advocated for a museum under the monarch's supervision, against the preferences of Obaseki.

Diplomatic Challenges

This placed Mowaa in a delicate position: asserting a clear stance on repatriation while being careful on custodianship – and emphasising its broader vision, which led to|c