🔗 Share this article

The nation's stunning new Art Museum of West Africa (Mowaa) has landed in the crosshairs of regional political struggles during the period it was supposed to – but failed – to open its doors to the public for the first time.

The Ambitious Project

The large-scale campus is located in the heart of the Edo state capital, capital of the southern state of Edo – and features an historical dig and buildings created by renowned British-Ghanaian architect Sir David Adjaye, best known for the Washington African American Museum that opened in the US capital in 2016.

It has been five years in the making – and is planned to honor both the heritage and the current era of artistic expression in the locale known for the cultural artifacts, historical pieces looted from the king's palace by British troops in the 1800s.

Readiness and Potential

It is impressive – and before the scheduled opening, Mowaa was active with employees committed to show it is a institution that can match well-known art institutions in the West.

Within preservation experts meticulously revealed art pieces from safety materials, checking each artifact and taking thorough notes before arranging them on walls and stands.

Experts fine-tuned climate control systems. In the research lab, personnel set up equipment meant to maintain historical items.

Investment and Economic Plans

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

"I aim us to have a significant economic impact on communities around here," he told the press, noting that he hoped to make the city "a tourism center."

Mowaa, a charitable national foundation, aims at generating more than 30,000 direct and indirect jobs and providing more than $80m annually to the local cultural industry through collaborations and programming.

Financial Support and Government Issues

It has needed $25m to achieve this stage – capital collected from various contributors, including the European governments, the UK museum and the Edo state government.

But now the regional administration has revoked permission from below it – terminating the utilization of the property on which the building was erected.

An official representative stated this was because in the early agreements it had referred to itself as EMOWAA – and it had later eliminated "the state identifier" from its title.

Unrest and Official Response

This declaration followed demonstrations on Sunday, when protesters invaded the facility calling for it be called the Royal Benin Museum.

A disruptive group confronted foreign guests at the facility before the opening – forcing them to be hurried away under security protection.

National leader Bola Tinubu has also become involved to attempt to settle the tensions, setting up a presidential committee to manage the situation.

Political Complexities

But how has this become so politicised – and such a PR disaster?

The majority of it stems from internal conflicts at a area administrative level, as it was the former state leader Godwin Obaseki – whose governance concluded last year – who was a key supporter of the project.

And it looks like the government of the current leader, a close ally of the local traditional ruler, referred to as the royal figure, may seek more of a stake in the initiative. The protesters on the weekend, for instance, were demanding that the facility be positioned under the supervision of the current Oba.

The Benin Bronzes Controversy

This highlights the controversial matter of the Benin Bronzes, one of the continent's most famous cultural treasures.

Because though the museum does ultimately welcome visitors, these bronzes will be conspicuously absent.

They are metal, ivory and wooden artworks that once embellished the king's residence of the historical empire before British soldiers looted them in 1897 during a colonial invasion.

Today, many remain spread across museums in the West -- featuring the London museum, Berlin's Humboldt Forum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Restitution Efforts

Their return has become one of the most debated discussions in the global art world. Roughly 150 have currently come back – and more are due to follow.

When ideas for the museum in Benin City were first announced in recent years, the key players on the national arts community hoped it would become their ideal location – a modern complex to display them to the world.

But the issues became confused some time back after the national authorities stated that the Oba would be the rightful owner of repatriated artifacts – and the royal household campaigned for a museum under the monarch's supervision, against the wishes of the ex-leader.

Political Navigation

This placed Mowaa in a difficult situation: maintaining a specific viewpoint on return while staying tactful on ownership – and emphasising its wider mission, which led to|c