Nigeria's stunning new Museum of West African Art (Mowaa) has ended up in the center of local power politics during the period it was supposed to – but failed – to open its doors to the general public for the initial occasion.
The Ambitious Project
The 15-acre facility stands in the heart of the Edo state capital, administrative center of the southern state of Edo – and contains an excavation site and buildings created by high-profile dual heritage architect Sir David Adjaye, particularly noted for the Smithsonian African American Museum that began operations in Washington in 2016.
It has been half a decade in the making – and is planned to showcase both the past and the modern times of cultural innovation in the area famous for the cultural artifacts, artworks stolen from the city's royal palace by British soldiers in the nineteenth century.
Preparation and Promise
It is notable – and prior to the planned opening, Mowaa was active with staff resolved to demonstrate it is a institution that can rival well-known museums and galleries in the Western world.
Internally preservation experts carefully revealed cultural items from protective packaging, inspecting each artifact and taking thorough documentation before positioning them on display surfaces and plinths.
Technicians fine-tuned environmental controls. In the materials science laboratory, staff members adjusted devices intended to preserve ancient objects.
Investment and Economic Plans
The project has been the brainchild of investor Phillip Ihenacho – currently Mowaa's chief executive.
"I aim us to have a substantial financial effect on area populations in this region," he stated to journalists, noting that he wanted to make this urban center "a tourism center."
Mowaa, a non-profit Nigerian institution, envisions itself establishing more than 30,000 direct and indirect jobs and contributing more than $80m per year to the local cultural industry through collaborations and activities.
Financial Support and Government Issues
It has needed $25m to reach this point – funds gathered from different donors, including the European governments, the London institution and the regional authorities.
But currently the regional administration has revoked permission from beneath it – terminating the utilization of the land on which the facility was constructed.
An Edo state spokesperson clarified this was because in the early agreements it had identified as the Edo-named institution – and it had later dropped "the state identifier" from its title.
Demonstrations and Government Action
This declaration was preceded by rallies on recently, when activists entered the campus insisting it be called the Royal Benin Museum.
A disruptive assembly confronted foreign guests at the venue prior to the inauguration – requiring them to be escorted out under police escort.
Head of state Bola Tinubu has also intervened to attempt to settle the tensions, creating a special task force to manage the situation.
Political Complexities
But in what way has this become so politicised – and such a public relations crisis?
Much of it results from internecine rivalries at a area administrative level, as it was the former state leader Godwin Obaseki – whose term in office concluded the previous year – who was a key supporter of the project.
And it appears the government of the recently elected official, a close ally of the local traditional ruler, called the traditional leader, may want more of a stake in the initiative. The activists on that day, for example, were calling for that the institution be put under the control of the royal leader.
The Benin Bronzes Controversy
This brings into focus the disputed topic of the Benin Bronzes, one of the continent's most famous historical legacy.
Because though the institution does finally welcome visitors, these objects will be conspicuously absent.
They are brass, ivory and timber artworks that once decorated the royal palace of the historical empire before colonial troops stole them in 1897 during a military operation.
Today, thousands stay scattered across institutions in Europe and North America -- including the UK institution, Berlin's Humboldt Forum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Return Initiatives
Their return has become one of the most contested conversations in the global art world. Roughly 150 have presently been returned – and more are scheduled to be repatriated.
When proposals for the institution in Benin City were originally proposed in the pre-pandemic era, the influential figures on the country's cultural sector expected it would become their perfect venue – a modern campus to display them to the world.
But the issues became confused some time back after the central administration announced that the traditional ruler would be the proper guardian of returned objects – and the palace pushed for a museum under the monarch's supervision, against the wishes of Obaseki.
Strategic Positioning
This left Mowaa in a delicate position: asserting a clear stance on return while staying tactful on guardianship – and emphasising its broader vision, which led to|c
