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Nigeria's impressive new West African Art Museum (Mowaa) has found itself in the crosshairs of local power politics during the time it was scheduled to – but was unable – to open its doors to the public for the first time.

The Major Initiative

The 15-acre campus sits in the core of Benin City, administrative center of the southern region of Edo – and features an historical dig and facilities created by renowned Ghanaian-British architect Sir David Adjaye, most famous for the Smithsonian African American Museum that was inaugurated in the US capital in 2016.

It has been 60 months in the creation – and is envisioned to honor both the history and the current era of cultural innovation in the locale famous for the Benin Bronzes, artworks looted from the royal palace by British soldiers in the nineteenth century.

Setup and Prospects

It is remarkable – and ahead of the anticipated opening, Mowaa was buzzing with workers determined to prove it is a institution that can compete with well-known cultural centers in the West.

Within conservators meticulously unwrapped artworks from protective packaging, inspecting each item and taking detailed notes before arranging them on exhibition areas and bases.

Experts adjusted climate control systems. In the research lab, staff members calibrated instruments meant to conserve ancient artefacts.

Investment and Economic Plans

The initiative has been the concept of businessman Phillip Ihenacho – currently Mowaa's managing director.

"I want us to have a major economic impact on area populations in the vicinity," he told the press, mentioning that he hoped to make the city "an arts hub."

Mowaa, a not-for-profit national foundation, envisions itself generating more than 30,000 direct and indirect jobs and adding over $80m per year to the area arts sector through collaborations and programming.

Investment and Administrative Problems

It has required $25m to reach this point – money gathered from different donors, such as the French and German governments, the London institution and the regional authorities.

But now the regional administration has revoked permission from under it – revoking the utilization of the land on which the museum was built.

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

Demonstrations and Government Action

This statement followed protests on the weekend, when people entered the complex calling for it be named the Museum of the Benin Kingdom.

A boisterous crowd confronted foreign guests at the facility prior to the inauguration – requiring them to be escorted out under security protection.

Head of state Bola Tinubu has also become involved to try and resolve the dispute, creating a presidential committee to do some damage control.

Governance Issues

But in what way has this become so controversial – and such a PR disaster?

A great deal of it stems from local power struggles at a regional government level, as it was the former state leader Godwin Obaseki – whose administration ended last year – who was a major backer of the project.

And it appears the government of the recently elected official, a close ally of the regional monarch, referred to as the Oba, may desire more of a stake in the project. The protesters on Sunday, for instance, were demanding that the institution be placed under the authority of Oba Ewuare II.

The Historical Objects Discussion

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

Because though the institution does finally begin operations, these artifacts will be noticeably missing.

They are brass, ivory and timber artworks that once decorated the king's residence of the historical empire before colonial troops took them in the late nineteenth century during a colonial invasion.

Nowadays, thousands continue to be distributed across galleries in the West -- featuring the UK institution, Berlin's Humboldt Forum and the New York institution.

Repatriation Campaigns

Their repatriation has become one of the most contested debates in the global art world. About 150 have currently made their way home – and additional are scheduled to be repatriated.

When plans for the institution in the city were originally proposed in 2019, the influential figures on the national arts community anticipated it would become their natural home – a modern facility to display them to the international community.

But the situation became complicated recently after the central administration declared that the royal leader would be the rightful owner of any returned bronzes – and the palace campaigned for a institution under the royal family's direct control, opposing the desires of Obaseki.

Strategic Positioning

This left Mowaa in a challenging circumstance: asserting a clear stance on restitution while being careful on custodianship – and highlighting its wider mission, which led to|c