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Nigeria's remarkable new West African Art Museum (Mowaa) has landed in the middle of local power politics during the period it was expected to – but did not manage – to open its doors to the general public for the first time.

The Grand Vision

The large-scale facility stands in the heart of the Edo state capital, capital of the southern state of Edo – and contains an archaeological dig and structures created by high-profile Ghanaian-British architect Sir David Adjaye, particularly noted for the National Museum of African American History and Culture that began operations in Washington DC in 2016.

It has been half a decade in the creation – and is envisioned to celebrate both the heritage and the current era of creativity in the region known for the historic artworks, cultural objects taken from the city's royal palace by British troops in the 1800s.

Preparation and Promise

It is impressive – and ahead of the scheduled opening, Mowaa was energetic with employees determined to demonstrate it is a institution that can rival well-known art institutions in the West.

Inside art restorers meticulously opened cultural items from protective packaging, checking each piece and taking thorough records before positioning them on display surfaces and plinths.

Technicians fine-tuned temperature regulation systems. In the materials science laboratory, staff members calibrated devices intended to maintain ancient artefacts.

Funding and Economic Goals

The venture has been the brainchild of entrepreneur Phillip Ihenacho – currently Mowaa's chief executive.

"I hope us to have a significant financial effect on communities in this region," he explained to journalists, noting that he hoped to make the city "a tourism center."

Mowaa, a not-for-profit national foundation, sees itself establishing over 30,000 work positions and contributing over $80m per year to the local cultural industry through partnerships and programming.

Financial Support and Government Issues

It has taken $25m to reach this point – capital raised from multiple supporters, featuring the international partners, the London institution and the local administration.

But currently the regional administration has revoked permission from under it – terminating the use of the site on which the museum was built.

An government communicator explained this was because in the original paperwork it had identified as the Edo-named institution – and it had later removed "Edo" from its name.

Protests and Political Intervention

This declaration followed protests on the weekend, when people entered the facility calling for it be called the Royal Benin Museum.

A rowdy assembly insulted international visitors at the facility ahead of the opening – forcing them to be quickly removed under official guard.

National leader Bola Tinubu has additionally intervened to try and resolve the tensions, setting up a presidential committee to manage the situation.

Political Complexities

But how has this evolved into so controversial – and such a reputation problem?

A great deal of it results from internal conflicts at a regional government level, as it was the ex-administrator Godwin Obaseki – whose governance ended the previous year – who was a primary advocate of the project.

And it seems the leadership of the new governor, a strong supporter of the local traditional ruler, referred to as the traditional leader, may desire more of a stake in the venture. The activists on the weekend, for case, were insisting that the museum be positioned under the authority of the current Oba.

The Benin Bronzes Controversy

This brings into focus the contentious issue of the Benin Bronzes, one of the continent's most celebrated artistic heritage.

Because even if the museum does ultimately welcome visitors, these bronzes will be noticeably missing.

They are brass, ivory and wooden sculptures that once adorned the monarch's home of the ancient kingdom before UK forces stole them in 1897 during a colonial invasion.

Nowadays, numerous stay spread across galleries in Western nations -- such as the UK institution, Berlin's Humboldt Forum and the American museum.

Return Initiatives

Their return has become one of the most contested discussions in the worldwide cultural sector. About 150 have presently come back – and more are scheduled to be repatriated.

When ideas for the museum in Benin City were initially revealed in 2019, the movers and shakers on the country's cultural sector hoped it would become their perfect venue – a state-of-the-art complex to show them off to the global audience.

But the issues became confused some time back after the national authorities announced that the royal leader 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.

Political Navigation

This left Mowaa in a challenging circumstance: maintaining a clear stance on repatriation while being careful on guardianship – and highlighting its larger purpose, which led to|c