The nation's remarkable new Art Museum of West Africa (Mowaa) has ended up in the crosshairs of local power politics during the period it was scheduled to – but did not manage – to welcome visitors to the public for the first time.
The Major Initiative
The six-hectare facility sits in the heart of the Edo state capital, administrative center of the southern region of Edo – and contains an archaeological dig and structures created by high-profile British-Ghanaian architect Sir David Adjaye, best known 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 honor both the history and the present of creativity in the area renowned for the Benin Bronzes, cultural objects looted from the royal palace by UK forces in the 1800s.
Setup and Prospects
It is remarkable – and prior to the planned opening, Mowaa was energetic with workers committed to prove it is a institution that can compete with renowned museums and galleries in the West.
Within conservators meticulously opened artworks from secure wrapping, checking each artifact and taking thorough records before arranging them on exhibition areas and plinths.
Technicians adjusted climate control systems. In the research lab, staff members adjusted instruments designed to preserve ancient objects.
Funding and Economic Goals
The project has been the idea of entrepreneur Phillip Ihenacho – now Mowaa's chief executive.
"I hope us to have a substantial financial effect on local residents in the vicinity," he stated to journalists, mentioning that he wanted to make this urban center "a tourism center."
Mowaa, a non-profit national foundation, sees itself generating more than 30,000 direct and indirect jobs and contributing more than $80m annually to the regional creative economy through partnerships and events.
Financial Support and Government Issues
It has taken $25m to achieve this stage – capital collected from multiple contributors, including the European governments, the UK museum and the regional authorities.
But currently the local government has pulled the rug from below it – terminating the use of the land on which the museum was built.
An Edo state spokesperson clarified this was because in the early agreements it had called itself Edo Museum of West African Art – and it had since removed "Edo" from its name.
Demonstrations and Government Action
This announcement came after rallies on the weekend, when activists entered the complex demanding it be called the Benin Royal Museum.
A rowdy group insulted international visitors at the venue before the inauguration – forcing them to be hurried away under police escort.
Head of state Bola Tinubu has even stepped in to attempt to settle the conflict, establishing a high-level committee to address the controversy.
Governance Issues
But how has this evolved into so divisive – and such a reputation problem?
A great deal of it results from local power struggles at a local state level, as it was Edo's previous governor Godwin Obaseki – whose governance ended recently – who was a primary advocate of the initiative.
And it seems the administration of the current leader, a close ally of the local traditional ruler, called the royal figure, may seek increased control in the venture. The activists on the weekend, for example, were demanding that the museum be put under the supervision of Oba Ewuare II.
The Cultural Artifacts Debate
This highlights the disputed topic of the Benin Bronzes, one of the region's most celebrated historical legacy.
Because although the institution does eventually open, these bronzes will be clearly not present.
They are metal, elephant tusk and timber carvings that once embellished the king's residence of the historical empire before colonial troops took them in the colonial era during a colonial invasion.
Today, thousands remain distributed across institutions in the West -- such as the British Museum, Berlin's Humboldt Forum and the New York institution.
Restitution Efforts
Their repatriation has become one of the most contested discussions in the worldwide cultural sector. Roughly 150 have presently been returned – and additional are scheduled to be repatriated.
When plans for the facility in Benin City were initially revealed in 2019, the key players on the national arts community hoped it would become their natural home – a state-of-the-art complex to show them off to the international community.
But the waters were muddied two years ago after the central administration announced that the Oba would be the rightful owner of repatriated artifacts – and the monarch's court advocated for a facility under the royal family's direct control, opposing the preferences of the ex-leader.
Strategic Positioning
This placed Mowaa in a challenging circumstance: asserting a specific viewpoint on repatriation while staying tactful on ownership – and highlighting its broader vision, which led to|c
