🔗 Share this article

Nigeria's impressive new West African Art Museum (Mowaa) has landed in the center of local power politics during the time it was supposed to – but failed – to begin operations to the general public for the first time.

The Ambitious Project

The six-hectare facility is located in the heart of Benin's urban center, capital of the southern region of Edo – and includes an archaeological dig and buildings designed by high-profile British-Ghanaian architect Sir David Adjaye, particularly noted for the National Museum of African American History and Culture that was inaugurated in Washington DC in 2016.

It has been five years in the development – and is designed to showcase both the past and the present of artistic expression in the locale famous for the Benin Bronzes, cultural objects taken from the king's palace by UK forces in the nineteenth century.

Readiness and Potential

It is remarkable – and ahead of the planned opening, Mowaa was active with workers committed to show it is a venue that can compete with established art institutions in the Western world.

Inside art restorers carefully unwrapped art pieces from secure wrapping, examining each artifact and taking thorough documentation before positioning them on walls and bases.

Specialists calibrated environmental controls. In the scientific facility, officers set up equipment meant to preserve historical items.

Financial Backing and Economic Vision

The project has been the idea of investor Phillip Ihenacho – presently Mowaa's executive director.

"I aim us to have a substantial financial effect on communities in the vicinity," he told media outlets, mentioning that he hoped to make the city "an arts hub."

Mowaa, a non-profit Nigerian institution, sees itself creating in excess of 30,000 employment opportunities and contributing above $80m annually to the regional creative economy through partnerships and events.

Investment and Administrative Problems

It has taken $25m to reach this point – funds gathered from various supporters, including the European governments, the UK museum and the local administration.

But at present the local government has pulled the rug from below it – canceling the occupancy of the site on which the museum was built.

An government communicator clarified this was because in the early agreements it had referred to itself as Edo Museum of West African Art – and it had since dropped "the state identifier" from its name.

Demonstrations and Government Action

This announcement was preceded by demonstrations on the weekend, when activists entered the facility demanding it be named the Royal Benin Museum.

A rowdy crowd insulted overseas dignitaries at the facility prior to the opening – forcing them to be quickly removed under police escort.

Head of state Bola Tinubu has also intervened to try and resolve the conflict, setting up a presidential committee to do some damage control.

Administrative Challenges

But in what way has this turned into so politicised – and such a reputation problem?

A great deal of it comes down to internal conflicts at a local state level, as it was the ex-administrator Godwin Obaseki – whose term in office finished last year – who was a major backer of the museum.

And it appears the leadership of the recently elected official, a close ally of the local traditional ruler, known as the royal figure, may desire increased control in the venture. The demonstrators on Sunday, for instance, were demanding that the institution be placed under the control of the current Oba.

The Cultural Artifacts Debate

This brings into focus the disputed topic of the Benin Bronzes, one of the region's most famous historical legacy.

Because even if the institution does ultimately begin operations, these artifacts will be noticeably missing.

They are metal, elephant tusk and timber artworks that once embellished the royal palace of the Benin Kingdom before colonial troops took them in the colonial era during a punitive expedition.

Today, numerous remain scattered across institutions in the West -- featuring the London museum, German museum and the American museum.

Return Initiatives

Their repatriation has become one of the most disputed debates in the worldwide cultural sector. Roughly 150 have now made their way home – and further are expected to return.

When proposals for the facility in the urban center were initially revealed in recent years, the movers and shakers on Nigeria's art scene anticipated it would become their perfect venue – a modern facility to show them off to the international community.

But the waters were muddied recently after the federal government stated that the traditional ruler would be the proper guardian of any returned bronzes – and the palace campaigned for a institution under the monarch's supervision, opposing the preferences of Obaseki.

Diplomatic Challenges

This left Mowaa in a delicate position: maintaining a definite position on repatriation while remaining diplomatic on guardianship – and emphasising its wider mission, which led to|c