🔗 Share this article

The nation's remarkable new West African Art Museum (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 visitors for the first time.

The Major Initiative

The 15-acre complex is located in the center of Benin City, administrative center of the southern area of Edo – and contains an historical dig and structures created by renowned dual heritage architect Sir David Adjaye, best known for the Washington African American Museum that was inaugurated in the US capital in 2016.

It has been five years in the development – and is designed to honor both the past and the modern times of artistic expression in the region renowned for the historic artworks, historical pieces looted from the city's royal palace by UK forces in the nineteenth century.

Preparation and Promise

It is remarkable – and before the planned opening, Mowaa was buzzing with workers determined to demonstrate it is a place that can match renowned museums and galleries in the Western world.

Internally conservators carefully revealed art pieces from secure wrapping, inspecting each item and taking meticulous records before positioning them on display surfaces and plinths.

Technicians fine-tuned climate control systems. In the materials science laboratory, officers adjusted devices designed to maintain ancient objects.

Investment and Economic Plans

The initiative has been the brainchild of investor Phillip Ihenacho – presently Mowaa's chief executive.

"I want us to have a significant financial effect on local residents around here," he explained to the press, noting that he aspired to make this urban center "a tourism center."

Mowaa, a non-profit Nigerian institution, envisions itself establishing over 30,000 direct and indirect jobs and providing more than $80m per year to the local cultural industry through alliances and events.

Funding Sources and Political Challenges

It has taken $25m to achieve this stage – money collected from various contributors, including the French and German governments, the London institution and the local administration.

But currently the local government has revoked permission from beneath it – terminating the occupancy of the property on which the facility was constructed.

An official representative stated this was because in the early agreements it had identified as the Edo-named institution – and it had subsequently dropped "Edo" from its title.

Unrest and Official Response

This declaration came after demonstrations on the weekend, when protesters stormed the facility insisting it be called the Museum of the Benin Kingdom.

A rowdy crowd harassed foreign guests at the venue ahead of the inauguration – requiring them to be hurried away under official guard.

Head of state Bola Tinubu has additionally stepped in to work to address the conflict, setting up a special task force to manage the situation.

Political Complexities

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

A great deal of it comes down to internal conflicts at a regional government level, as it was Edo's previous governor Godwin Obaseki – whose governance concluded recently – who was a key supporter of the initiative.

And it seems the leadership of the current leader, a key associate of the local traditional ruler, called the Oba, may want increased control in the project. The activists on Sunday, for instance, were demanding that the institution be placed under the control of the current Oba.

The Benin Bronzes Controversy

This highlights the controversial matter of the Benin Bronzes, one of Africa's most renowned cultural treasures.

Because though the institution does finally begin operations, these objects will be noticeably missing.

They are metal, elephant tusk and timber artworks that once adorned the king's residence of the historical empire before UK forces stole them in 1897 during a military operation.

Currently, many remain spread across museums in Europe and North America -- including the London museum, German museum and the American museum.

Restitution Efforts

Their return has become one of the most debated debates in the worldwide cultural sector. Approximately 150 have presently made their way home – and more are expected to return.

When ideas for the facility in the urban center were first announced in the pre-pandemic era, the influential figures on the country's cultural sector expected it would become their ideal location – a state-of-the-art campus to display them to the international community.

But the issues became confused some time back after the federal government declared that the royal leader would be the rightful owner of any returned bronzes – and the monarch's court pushed for a facility under the royal family's direct control, against the desires of the ex-leader.

Diplomatic Challenges

This placed Mowaa in a delicate position: maintaining a specific viewpoint on return while remaining diplomatic on ownership – and stressing its wider mission, which led to|c