🔗 Share this article

The nation's impressive new Art Museum of West Africa (Mowaa) has found itself in the middle of regional political struggles during the week it was supposed to – but did not manage – to welcome visitors to the visitors for the very first time.

The Ambitious Project

The 15-acre campus is located in the heart of Benin City, administrative center of the southern area of Edo – and includes an excavation site and buildings created by celebrated dual heritage architect Sir David Adjaye, most famous for the National Museum of African American History and Culture that opened in the US capital in 2016.

It has been half a decade in the creation – and is designed to showcase both the past and the current era of creativity in the locale known for the Benin Bronzes, cultural objects taken from the city's royal palace by UK forces in the 1800s.

Preparation and Promise

It is impressive – and before the anticipated opening, Mowaa was active with employees committed to prove it is a venue that can compete with well-known museums and galleries in the Western world.

Internally conservators precisely unwrapped cultural items from secure wrapping, checking each piece and taking detailed documentation before placing them on walls and bases.

Specialists fine-tuned environmental controls. In the research lab, personnel set up equipment meant to maintain ancient items.

Funding and Economic Goals

The initiative has been the brainchild of entrepreneur Phillip Ihenacho – presently Mowaa's executive director.

"I aim us to have a substantial financial effect on communities in the vicinity," he told journalists, mentioning that he wanted to make this urban center "a tourism center."

Mowaa, a non-profit local organization, envisions itself establishing over 30,000 direct and indirect jobs and providing over $80m annually to the local cultural industry through collaborations and programming.

Investment and Administrative Problems

It has taken $25m to achieve this stage – capital collected from multiple contributors, featuring the international partners, the UK museum and the regional authorities.

But at present the local government has withdrawn support from under it – revoking the occupancy of the site on which the building was erected.

An official representative explained this was because in the early agreements it had referred to itself as the Edo-named institution – and it had later removed "the regional name" from its designation.

Unrest and Official Response

This announcement was preceded by rallies on Sunday, when protesters invaded the facility insisting it be called the Benin Royal Museum.

A boisterous assembly confronted foreign guests at the museum ahead of the inauguration – compelling them to be escorted out under official guard.

Head of state Bola Tinubu has even stepped in to try and resolve the tensions, establishing a special task force to address the controversy.

Governance Issues

But why has this evolved into so divisive – and such a reputation problem?

A great deal of it comes down to internecine rivalries at a regional government level, as it was the former state leader Godwin Obaseki – whose administration ended recently – who was a major backer of the project.

And it appears the government of the recently elected official, a key associate of the area king, called the traditional leader, may want increased control in the venture. The demonstrators on that day, for instance, were calling for that the institution be placed under the control of Oba Ewuare II.

The Cultural Artifacts Debate

This brings into focus the contentious issue of the historical artworks, one of the region's most celebrated historical legacy.

Because even if the museum does eventually welcome visitors, these bronzes will be clearly not present.

They are metal, ivory and wooden sculptures that once embellished the king's residence of the ancient kingdom before colonial troops stole them in 1897 during a punitive expedition.

Currently, numerous remain distributed across galleries in Europe and North America -- featuring the UK institution, European center and the New York institution.

Return Initiatives

Their repatriation has become one of the most disputed debates in the global art world. Roughly 150 have presently made their way home – and more are due to follow.

When proposals for the facility in the city were originally proposed in the pre-pandemic era, the influential figures on the national arts community expected it would become their natural home – a modern campus to show them off to the world.

But the waters were muddied recently after the central administration declared that the traditional ruler would be the rightful owner of returned objects – and the monarch's court advocated for a museum under the monarch's supervision, contrary to the preferences of Obaseki.

Strategic Positioning

This placed Mowaa in a delicate position: asserting a specific viewpoint on return while remaining diplomatic on custodianship – and highlighting its wider mission, which led to|c