Nigeria's stunning new West African Art Museum (Mowaa) has found itself in the crosshairs of local power politics during the period it was scheduled to – but did not manage – to open its doors to the public for the very first time.
The Major Initiative
The large-scale campus is located in the core of Benin City, administrative center of the southern region of Edo – and features an excavation site and buildings planned by renowned British-Ghanaian architect Sir David Adjaye, best known for the Smithsonian African American Museum that was inaugurated in the US capital in 2016.
It has been half a decade in the making – and is planned to showcase both the history and the modern times of creativity in the region known for the historic artworks, cultural objects stolen from the city's royal palace by UK forces in the 1800s.
Readiness and Potential
It is remarkable – and ahead of the scheduled opening, Mowaa was energetic with workers committed to prove it is a place that can rival established cultural centers in the West.
Within preservation experts precisely unwrapped artworks from protective packaging, examining each item and taking detailed notes before positioning them on exhibition areas and plinths.
Technicians fine-tuned environmental controls. In the research lab, personnel calibrated equipment meant to preserve centuries-old artefacts.
Investment and Economic Plans
The venture has been the idea of investor Phillip Ihenacho – currently Mowaa's managing director.
"I aim us to have a major economic impact on area populations in the vicinity," he explained to media outlets, adding that he hoped to make Benin City "an arts hub."
Mowaa, a charitable national foundation, envisions itself generating over 30,000 direct and indirect jobs and contributing over $80m annually to the regional creative economy through partnerships and activities.
Investment and Administrative Problems
It has required $25m to get here – capital raised from multiple donors, including the French and German governments, the UK museum and the Edo state government.
But now the state authorities has revoked permission from below it – terminating the use of the property on which the museum was built.
An Edo state spokesperson stated this was because in the original paperwork it had referred to itself as EMOWAA – and it had since eliminated "the regional name" from its designation.
Unrest and Official Response
This declaration followed protests on Sunday, when protesters entered the facility insisting it be called the Benin Royal Museum.
A disruptive assembly harassed foreign guests at the museum ahead of the inauguration – compelling them to be quickly removed under official guard.
President Bola Tinubu has even stepped in to try and resolve the tensions, establishing a high-level committee to manage the situation.
Political Complexities
But how has this become so controversial – and such a PR disaster?
The majority of it results from local power struggles at a area administrative level, as it was the ex-administrator Godwin Obaseki – whose administration ended recently – who was a major backer of the initiative.
And it looks like the administration of the new governor, a close ally of the local traditional ruler, referred to as the Oba, may seek increased control in the venture. The demonstrators on the weekend, for case, were calling for that the museum be positioned under the authority of Oba Ewuare II.
The Cultural Artifacts Debate
This brings into focus the disputed topic of the Benin Bronzes, one of the region's most famous cultural treasures.
Because even if the facility does ultimately open, these objects will be clearly not present.
They are brass, ivory and timber sculptures that once decorated the king's residence of the Benin Kingdom before UK forces took them in the colonial era during a punitive expedition.
Nowadays, many remain distributed across museums in Europe and North America -- such as the UK institution, European center and the American museum.
Repatriation Campaigns
Their homecoming has become one of the most debated debates in the international art community. Approximately 150 have presently made their way home – and further are scheduled to be repatriated.
When plans for the museum in Benin City were originally proposed in recent years, the key players on the country's cultural sector expected it would become their ideal location – a state-of-the-art complex to show them off to the global audience.
But the waters were muddied two years ago after the central administration announced that the Oba would be the proper guardian of returned objects – and the palace campaigned for a facility under the king's authority, contrary to the preferences of Obaseki.
Diplomatic Challenges
This left Mowaa in a delicate position: expressing a specific viewpoint on repatriation while remaining diplomatic on ownership – and stressing its broader vision, which led to|c
