Nigeria's remarkable new West African Art Museum (Mowaa) has found itself in the crosshairs of local power politics during the period it was scheduled to – but was unable – to open its doors to the visitors for the first time.
The Ambitious Project
The six-hectare complex sits in the core of Benin City, administrative center of the southern area of Edo – and includes an excavation site and facilities planned by high-profile British-Ghanaian architect Sir David Adjaye, most famous for the Washington African American Museum that was inaugurated in Washington DC in 2016.
It has been half a decade in the creation – and is envisioned to honor both the history and the present of artistic expression in the area renowned for the cultural artifacts, historical pieces looted from the royal palace by UK forces in the 19th Century.
Preparation and Promise
It is remarkable – and before the planned opening, Mowaa was active with workers determined to prove it is a place that can match established cultural centers in the West.
Within conservators carefully opened cultural items from safety materials, examining each item and taking thorough documentation before placing them on display surfaces and bases.
Technicians fine-tuned environmental controls. In the scientific facility, personnel set up devices meant to preserve centuries-old artefacts.
Investment and Economic Plans
The initiative has been the brainchild of investor Phillip Ihenacho – now Mowaa's executive director.
"I want us to have a major financial effect on area populations in the vicinity," he stated to journalists, adding that he aspired to make Benin City "an arts hub."
Mowaa, a not-for-profit national foundation, aims at creating in excess of 30,000 direct and indirect jobs and providing more than $80m each year to the local cultural industry through collaborations and programming.
Investment and Administrative Problems
It has required $25m to reach this point – money raised from multiple contributors, including the European governments, the London institution and the local administration.
But now the local government has withdrawn support from beneath it – terminating the occupancy of the land on which the museum was built.
An official representative stated this was because in the initial documents it had identified as Edo Museum of West African Art – and it had since eliminated "the regional name" from its designation.
Unrest and Official Response
This declaration came after demonstrations on Sunday, when activists invaded the facility insisting it be called the Museum of the Benin Kingdom.
A rowdy crowd harassed international visitors at the museum ahead of the launch – requiring them to be quickly removed under security protection.
President Bola Tinubu has even become involved to work to address the tensions, establishing a presidential committee to do some damage control.
Administrative Challenges
But in what way has this turned into so divisive – and such a reputation problem?
Much of it stems from internecine rivalries at a area administrative level, as it was Edo's previous governor Godwin Obaseki – whose governance concluded the previous year – who was a key supporter of the museum.
And it seems the leadership of the new governor, a strong supporter of the regional monarch, referred to as the royal figure, may want more of a stake in the venture. The demonstrators on the weekend, for instance, were demanding that the museum be placed under the supervision of Oba Ewuare II.
The Benin Bronzes Controversy
This highlights the disputed topic of the cultural artifacts, one of the region's most renowned cultural treasures.
Because even if the institution does eventually welcome visitors, these objects will be conspicuously absent.
They are brass, ivory and timber carvings that once adorned the monarch's home of the ancient kingdom before British soldiers stole them in the colonial era during a colonial invasion.
Today, thousands continue to be distributed across museums in Europe and North America -- including the British Museum, Berlin's Humboldt Forum and the New York institution.
Restitution Efforts
Their repatriation has become one of the most debated discussions in the global art world. Approximately 150 have currently been returned – and further are expected to return.
When proposals for the museum in the city were originally proposed in recent years, the movers and shakers on the national arts community expected it would become their natural home – a advanced campus to show them off to the world.
But the situation became complicated some time back after the central administration declared that the traditional ruler would be the proper guardian of repatriated artifacts – and the palace campaigned for a museum under the king's authority, opposing the wishes of the former governor.
Diplomatic Challenges
This placed Mowaa in a delicate position: maintaining a clear stance on return while being careful on custodianship – and highlighting its broader vision, which led to|c
