Nigeria's stunning new Museum of West African Art (Mowaa) has landed in the crosshairs of area political conflicts during the week it was scheduled to – but failed – to open its doors to the general public for the very first time.
The Ambitious Project
The 15-acre facility stands in the core of Benin City, capital of the southern area of Edo – and features an historical dig and buildings planned by renowned British-Ghanaian architect Sir David Adjaye, particularly noted for the Washington African American Museum that opened in the US capital in 2016.
It has been 60 months in the development – and is envisioned to showcase both the past and the modern times of creativity in the region famous for the historic artworks, cultural objects taken from the king's palace by British troops in the 1800s.
Readiness and Potential
It is impressive – and ahead of the planned opening, Mowaa was active with workers committed to prove it is a institution that can rival renowned art institutions in the Europe and America.
Internally art restorers carefully opened art pieces from protective packaging, checking each item and taking meticulous records before positioning them on display surfaces and plinths.
Technicians fine-tuned environmental controls. In the scientific facility, personnel adjusted devices meant to conserve ancient artefacts.
Financial Backing and Economic Vision
The initiative has been the idea of entrepreneur Phillip Ihenacho – now Mowaa's executive director.
"I aim us to have a significant economic impact on local residents in this region," he told media outlets, adding that he aspired to make the city "a tourism center."
Mowaa, a charitable national foundation, sees itself creating in excess of 30,000 employment opportunities and adding more than $80m annually to the local cultural industry through collaborations and programming.
Funding Sources and Political Challenges
It has needed $25m to achieve this stage – funds collected from various supporters, including the international partners, the London institution and the regional authorities.
But now the local government has pulled the rug from below it – terminating the occupancy of the land on which the facility was constructed.
An Edo state spokesperson stated this was because in the original paperwork it had called itself Edo Museum of West African Art – and it had since eliminated "the regional name" from its name.
Unrest and Official Response
This statement followed demonstrations on Sunday, when people invaded the complex calling for it be called the Royal Benin Museum.
A disruptive crowd harassed foreign guests at the venue ahead of the opening – requiring them to be hurried away under official guard.
President Bola Tinubu has also stepped in to attempt to settle the conflict, setting up a special task force to address the controversy.
Governance Issues
But in what way has this become so controversial – and such a reputation problem?
The majority of it comes down to local power struggles at a regional government level, as it was the former state leader Godwin Obaseki – whose governance finished the previous year – who was a primary advocate of the project.
And it looks like the leadership of the recently elected official, a key associate of the area king, called the Oba, may want increased control in the venture. The activists on that day, for instance, were demanding that the museum be positioned under the control of the current Oba.
The Historical Objects Discussion
This highlights the contentious issue of the cultural artifacts, one of the region's most celebrated cultural treasures.
Because even if the museum does ultimately welcome visitors, these artifacts will be conspicuously absent.
They are brass, elephant tusk and wooden carvings that once adorned the royal palace of the Benin Kingdom before colonial troops looted them in the colonial era during a colonial invasion.
Nowadays, thousands continue to be scattered across institutions in Europe and North America -- such as the British Museum, Berlin's Humboldt Forum and the American museum.
Return Initiatives
Their repatriation has become one of the most contested debates in the international art community. Approximately 150 have now come back – and more are due to follow.
When plans for the facility in the city were initially revealed in recent years, the influential figures on the national arts community expected it would become their natural home – a state-of-the-art facility to show them off to the world.
But the issues became confused some time back after the national authorities declared that the royal leader would be the rightful owner of returned objects – and the royal household advocated for a museum under the monarch's supervision, opposing the desires of the ex-leader.
Diplomatic Challenges
This placed Mowaa in a delicate position: maintaining a specific viewpoint on repatriation while staying tactful on custodianship – and emphasising its larger purpose, which led to|c
