🔗 Share this article

Nigeria's remarkable new Art Museum of West Africa (Mowaa) has landed in the middle of local power politics during the time it was supposed to – but did not manage – to welcome visitors to the general public for the very first time.

The Grand Vision

The six-hectare complex is located in the core of the Edo state capital, administrative center of the southern area of Edo – and features an archaeological dig and facilities created by high-profile British-Ghanaian architect Sir David Adjaye, most famous for the Smithsonian African American Museum that was inaugurated in Washington DC in 2016.

It has been half a decade in the creation – and is designed to showcase both the past and the present of creativity in the locale renowned for the cultural artifacts, artworks stolen from the royal palace by UK forces in the 19th Century.

Preparation and Promise

It is remarkable – and before the anticipated opening, Mowaa was energetic with staff resolved to demonstrate it is a venue that can match renowned cultural centers in the Europe and America.

Within art restorers meticulously opened artworks from safety materials, checking each item and taking thorough notes before placing them on display surfaces and bases.

Technicians adjusted climate control systems. In the scientific facility, staff members set up equipment meant to preserve centuries-old artefacts.

Financial Backing and Economic Vision

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

"I aim us to have a significant economic impact on local residents in the vicinity," he stated to the press, noting that he aspired to make Benin City "a tourism center."

Mowaa, a non-profit local organization, sees itself establishing over 30,000 direct and indirect jobs and contributing over $80m each year to the area arts sector through collaborations and programming.

Investment and Administrative Problems

It has taken $25m to achieve this stage – capital collected from different contributors, featuring the European governments, the British Museum and the Edo state government.

But currently the state authorities has pulled the rug from beneath it – canceling the use of the site on which the museum was built.

An government communicator stated this was because in the early agreements it had identified as Edo Museum of West African Art – and it had subsequently dropped "the state identifier" from its name.

Unrest and Official Response

This declaration came after protests on Sunday, when protesters invaded the campus insisting it be designated the Museum of the Benin Kingdom.

A rowdy group confronted foreign guests at the venue ahead of the launch – forcing them to be escorted out under security protection.

Head of state Bola Tinubu has additionally intervened to work to address the tensions, creating a presidential committee to manage the situation.

Political Complexities

But why has this evolved into so divisive – and such a reputation problem?

Much of it results from 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 key supporter of the museum.

And it seems the administration of the recently elected official, a key associate of the local traditional ruler, called the traditional leader, may seek more of a stake in the initiative. The demonstrators on the weekend, for example, were calling for that the institution be put under the authority of Oba Ewuare II.

The Cultural Artifacts Debate

This emphasizes the controversial matter of the historical artworks, one of the continent's most renowned cultural treasures.

Because even if the museum does eventually begin operations, these objects will be conspicuously absent.

They are brass, elephant tusk and wooden sculptures that once decorated the monarch's home of the Benin Kingdom before UK forces took them in 1897 during a punitive expedition.

Nowadays, many continue to be distributed across galleries in Western nations -- featuring the London museum, Berlin's Humboldt Forum and the New York institution.

Restitution Efforts

Their homecoming has become one of the most contested discussions in the global art world. Roughly 150 have now come back – and more are due to follow.

When proposals for the facility in the city were first announced in the pre-pandemic era, the movers and shakers on Nigeria's art scene anticipated it would become their natural home – a advanced facility to exhibit them to the international community.

But the situation became complicated recently after the national authorities declared that the Oba would be the rightful owner of repatriated artifacts – and the palace pushed for a museum under the monarch's supervision, against the desires of the ex-leader.

Diplomatic Challenges

This left Mowaa in a difficult situation: maintaining a specific viewpoint on repatriation while staying tactful on guardianship – and emphasising its broader vision, which led to|c