🔗 Share this article

Nigeria's remarkable new Art Museum of West Africa (Mowaa) has found itself in the crosshairs of local power politics during the time it was supposed to – but did not manage – to open its doors to the public for the initial occasion.

The Major Initiative

The large-scale campus stands in the center of the Edo state capital, main city of the southern area of Edo – and includes an historical dig and buildings created by celebrated Ghanaian-British architect Sir David Adjaye, particularly noted for the Smithsonian African American Museum that opened in Washington in 2016.

It has been 60 months in the development – and is envisioned to celebrate both the past and the current era of creativity in the locale known for the historic artworks, cultural objects stolen from the royal palace by British troops in the 19th Century.

Setup and Prospects

It is remarkable – and ahead of the scheduled opening, Mowaa was buzzing with workers determined to prove it is a place that can rival well-known art institutions in the West.

Within art restorers meticulously revealed cultural items from secure wrapping, examining each item and taking thorough records before placing them on walls and plinths.

Technicians fine-tuned environmental controls. In the research lab, staff members set up equipment meant to conserve historical items.

Investment and Economic Plans

The initiative has been the idea of businessman Phillip Ihenacho – currently Mowaa's executive director.

"I aim us to have a major financial effect on communities around here," he explained to the press, adding that he hoped to make this urban center "a tourism center."

Mowaa, a non-profit national foundation, aims at establishing more than 30,000 direct and indirect jobs and adding more than $80m each year to the regional creative economy through collaborations and events.

Investment and Administrative Problems

It has required $25m to achieve this stage – capital raised from multiple donors, including the European governments, the UK museum and the local administration.

But at present the state authorities has revoked permission from below it – revoking the occupancy of the land on which the facility was constructed.

An Edo state spokesperson explained this was because in the initial documents it had identified as the Edo-named institution – and it had since removed "Edo" from its designation.

Unrest and Official Response

This declaration was preceded by protests on recently, when people invaded the campus calling for it be designated the Benin Royal Museum.

A rowdy assembly insulted foreign guests at the facility prior to the inauguration – forcing them to be escorted out under security protection.

National leader Bola Tinubu has also intervened to attempt to settle the dispute, establishing a presidential committee to manage the situation.

Administrative Challenges

But how has this become so divisive – and such a PR disaster?

The majority of it comes down to local power struggles at a regional government level, as it was Edo's previous governor Godwin Obaseki – whose administration finished last year – who was a key supporter of the museum.

And it appears the government of the current leader, a strong supporter of the regional monarch, called the traditional leader, may seek more of a stake in the initiative. The protesters on that day, for example, were insisting that the institution be placed under the control of Oba Ewuare II.

The Cultural Artifacts Debate

This emphasizes the contentious issue of the Benin Bronzes, one of the region's most famous historical legacy.

Because although the facility does eventually open, these bronzes will be conspicuously absent.

They are brass, elephant tusk and timber artworks that once embellished the king's residence of the ancient kingdom before UK forces stole them in the colonial era during a punitive expedition.

Today, thousands continue to be spread across museums in the West -- featuring the UK institution, Berlin's Humboldt Forum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Restitution Efforts

Their homecoming has become one of the most disputed debates in the global art world. Approximately 150 have presently been returned – and additional are scheduled to be repatriated.

When plans for the facility in the city were initially revealed in 2019, the movers and shakers on the country's cultural sector expected it would become their perfect venue – a advanced complex to display them to the world.

But the waters were muddied two years ago after the federal government declared that the royal leader would be the rightful owner of any returned bronzes – and the royal household advocated for a institution under the monarch's supervision, contrary to the desires of Obaseki.

Strategic Positioning

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