🔗 Share this article

The nation's impressive new Museum of West African Art (Mowaa) has found itself in the center of area political conflicts during the week it was scheduled to – but did not manage – to begin operations to the visitors for the first time.

The Ambitious Project

The large-scale facility stands in the heart of Benin City, capital of the southern state of Edo – and features an excavation site and structures created by celebrated British-Ghanaian architect Sir David Adjaye, most famous for the National Museum of African American History and Culture that opened in Washington in 2016.

It has been half a decade in the development – and is envisioned to celebrate both the heritage and the current era of artistic expression in the locale famous for the historic artworks, artworks looted from the king's palace by British soldiers in the 1800s.

Setup and Prospects

It is notable – and ahead of the scheduled opening, Mowaa was active with staff committed to demonstrate it is a institution that can rival renowned art institutions in the Western world.

Inside art restorers carefully revealed artworks from secure wrapping, checking each item and taking thorough records before positioning them on walls and stands.

Experts calibrated environmental controls. In the scientific facility, staff members calibrated devices meant to preserve centuries-old items.

Financial Backing and Economic Vision

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

"I aim us to have a major economic benefit on communities around here," he stated to journalists, mentioning that he aspired to make Benin City "an arts hub."

Mowaa, a charitable national foundation, sees itself creating over 30,000 direct and indirect jobs and adding more than $80m annually to the area arts sector through collaborations and programming.

Investment and Administrative Problems

It has taken $25m to get here – money collected from different donors, such as the international partners, the British Museum and the regional authorities.

But at present the regional administration has pulled the rug from below it – terminating the occupancy of the site on which the building was erected.

An Edo state spokesperson explained this was because in the early agreements it had called itself Edo Museum of West African Art – and it had later removed "the state identifier" from its name.

Protests and Political Intervention

This announcement followed protests on recently, when activists entered the facility insisting it be called the Benin Royal Museum.

A disruptive crowd confronted foreign guests at the venue prior to the launch – forcing them to be hurried away under security protection.

President Bola Tinubu has even become involved to try and resolve the dispute, establishing a high-level committee to do some damage control.

Governance Issues

But in what way has this turned into so politicised – and such a public relations crisis?

A great deal of it comes down to internal conflicts at a area administrative level, as it was the former state leader Godwin Obaseki – whose term in office ended recently – who was a primary advocate of the museum.

And it appears the administration of the recently elected official, a close ally of the regional monarch, known as the traditional leader, may want more of a stake in the venture. The demonstrators on that day, for instance, were calling for that the museum be positioned under the control of the royal leader.

The Historical Objects Discussion

This brings into focus the contentious issue of the cultural artifacts, one of Africa's most celebrated artistic heritage.

Because although the facility does finally welcome visitors, these artifacts will be clearly not present.

They are metal, elephant tusk and wooden artworks that once embellished the royal palace of the ancient kingdom before British soldiers looted them in 1897 during a military operation.

Currently, many stay scattered across museums in Europe and North America -- such as the British Museum, German museum and the New York institution.

Restitution Efforts

Their repatriation has become one of the most disputed discussions in the worldwide cultural sector. Approximately 150 have presently been returned – and further are due to follow.

When plans for the museum in the urban center were originally proposed in 2019, the influential figures on Nigeria's art scene anticipated it would become their perfect venue – a modern complex to exhibit them to the international community.

But the waters were muddied recently after the federal government announced that the royal leader would be the proper guardian of repatriated artifacts – and the palace campaigned for a museum under the monarch's supervision, opposing the desires of Obaseki.

Strategic Positioning

This left Mowaa in a difficult situation: expressing a definite position on return while staying tactful on guardianship – and emphasising its broader vision, which led to|c