Nigeria's impressive new Museum of West African Art (Mowaa) has found itself in the center of local power politics during the week it was expected to – but was unable – to open its doors to the visitors for the very first time.
The Ambitious Project
The 15-acre campus sits in the center of the Edo state capital, capital of the southern region of Edo – and includes an archaeological dig and facilities planned by renowned Ghanaian-British architect Sir David Adjaye, best known for the National Museum of African American History and Culture that began operations in Washington DC in 2016.
It has been five years in the development – and is planned to celebrate both the history and the current era of artistic expression in the region known for the cultural artifacts, artworks stolen from the city's royal palace by British soldiers in the nineteenth century.
Setup and Prospects
It is remarkable – and before the planned opening, Mowaa was active with staff committed to demonstrate it is a place that can rival well-known art institutions in the Europe and America.
Within preservation experts precisely unwrapped artworks from safety materials, examining each piece and taking meticulous notes before placing them on display surfaces and bases.
Technicians calibrated temperature regulation systems. In the research lab, officers adjusted equipment intended to maintain centuries-old artefacts.
Financial Backing and Economic Vision
The project has been the concept of businessman Phillip Ihenacho – currently Mowaa's executive director.
"I want us to have a significant financial effect on local residents in the vicinity," he told media outlets, mentioning that he aspired to make this urban center "a cultural destination."
Mowaa, a charitable Nigerian institution, sees itself creating over 30,000 employment opportunities and providing over $80m per year to the regional creative economy through partnerships and events.
Investment and Administrative Problems
It has needed $25m to reach this point – capital collected from different supporters, featuring the French and German governments, the London institution and the Edo state government.
But currently the state authorities has withdrawn support from beneath it – canceling the utilization of the property on which the museum was built.
An official representative clarified this was because in the initial documents it had identified as the Edo-named institution – and it had later dropped "the state identifier" from its title.
Demonstrations and Government Action
This statement followed demonstrations on recently, when people stormed the campus insisting it be called the Royal Benin Museum.
A rowdy group insulted foreign guests at the facility before the inauguration – requiring them to be quickly removed under police escort.
Head of state Bola Tinubu has even stepped in to attempt to settle the tensions, setting up a high-level committee to do some damage control.
Administrative Challenges
But how has this become so controversial – and such a PR disaster?
Much of it results from internal conflicts at a area administrative level, as it was the ex-administrator Godwin Obaseki – whose governance ended last year – who was a major backer of the initiative.
And it looks like the government of the new governor, a close ally of the area king, called the royal figure, may want greater involvement in the initiative. The activists on the weekend, for example, were insisting that the museum be put under the control of the current Oba.
The Benin Bronzes Controversy
This brings into focus the contentious issue of the historical artworks, one of the region's most renowned historical legacy.
Because though the facility does eventually welcome visitors, these bronzes will be noticeably missing.
They are brass, ivory and wooden carvings that once embellished the monarch's home of the ancient kingdom before colonial troops looted them in the colonial era during a punitive expedition.
Currently, thousands continue to be spread across museums in Western nations -- including the British Museum, European center and the New York institution.
Restitution Efforts
Their repatriation has become one of the most contested conversations in the global art world. Approximately 150 have currently been returned – and additional are scheduled to be repatriated.
When plans for the facility in Benin City were first announced in the pre-pandemic era, the influential figures on the national arts community expected it would become their perfect venue – a state-of-the-art complex to show them off to the international community.
But the issues became confused some time back after the central administration announced that the royal leader would be the legal custodian of returned objects – and the royal household campaigned for a museum under the king's authority, opposing the desires of the former governor.
Diplomatic Challenges
This left Mowaa in a difficult situation: asserting a definite position on return while remaining diplomatic on custodianship – and emphasising its larger purpose, which led to|c
