The nation's stunning new Museum of West African Art (Mowaa) has found itself in the middle of regional political struggles during the time it was scheduled to – but failed – to open its doors to the visitors for the initial occasion.
The Ambitious Project
The six-hectare campus sits in the heart of Benin City, administrative center of the southern area of Edo – and contains an historical dig and buildings planned by renowned dual heritage architect Sir David Adjaye, particularly noted for the Washington African American Museum that opened in the US capital in 2016.
It has been half a decade in the development – and is envisioned to showcase both the heritage and the present of artistic expression in the region known for the Benin Bronzes, cultural objects taken from the king's palace by British soldiers in the 1800s.
Readiness and Potential
It is notable – and prior to the planned opening, Mowaa was active with staff resolved to demonstrate it is a place that can compete with renowned museums and galleries in the Europe and America.
Internally preservation experts meticulously opened cultural items from protective packaging, inspecting each artifact and taking detailed notes before arranging them on exhibition areas and plinths.
Technicians fine-tuned environmental controls. In the scientific facility, officers adjusted equipment meant to preserve historical artefacts.
Investment and Economic Plans
The initiative has been the idea of investor Phillip Ihenacho – now Mowaa's chief executive.
"I hope us to have a significant economic impact on area populations around here," he stated to the press, noting that he wanted to make the city "a cultural destination."
Mowaa, a not-for-profit national foundation, sees itself generating over 30,000 work positions and adding above $80m each year to the regional creative economy through alliances and programming.
Investment and Administrative Problems
It has taken $25m to reach this point – capital raised from various donors, featuring the French and German governments, the London institution and the local administration.
But now the regional administration has pulled the rug from beneath it – revoking the use of the land on which the facility was constructed.
An Edo state spokesperson explained this was because in the early agreements it had referred to itself as EMOWAA – and it had since dropped "the state identifier" from its designation.
Demonstrations and Government Action
This statement came after demonstrations on the weekend, when protesters invaded the complex insisting it be called the Royal Benin Museum.
A disruptive crowd confronted foreign guests at the venue before the inauguration – forcing them to be escorted out under police escort.
President Bola Tinubu has even become involved to work to address the tensions, setting up a presidential committee to address the controversy.
Governance Issues
But in what way has this evolved into so controversial – and such a public relations crisis?
Much of it stems from local power struggles at a area administrative level, as it was Edo's previous governor Godwin Obaseki – whose administration ended the previous year – who was a major backer of the initiative.
And it looks like the leadership of the recently elected official, a close ally of the regional monarch, known as the traditional leader, may seek more of a stake in the initiative. The protesters on Sunday, for instance, were calling for that the facility be placed under the control of the royal leader.
The Historical Objects Discussion
This emphasizes the contentious issue of the cultural artifacts, one of the continent's most famous historical legacy.
Because even if the institution does finally open, these artifacts will be conspicuously absent.
They are brass, elephant tusk and wooden sculptures that once adorned the royal palace of the ancient kingdom before colonial troops looted them in 1897 during a colonial invasion.
Nowadays, thousands continue to be scattered across institutions in Western nations -- including the UK institution, European center and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Restitution Efforts
Their repatriation has become one of the most disputed discussions in the global art world. Roughly 150 have now made their way home – and additional are due to follow.
When proposals for the museum in the urban center were first announced in 2019, the key players on Nigeria's art scene anticipated it would become their perfect venue – a modern facility to display them to the international community.
But the issues became confused some time back after the federal government announced that the traditional ruler would be the legal custodian of repatriated artifacts – and the monarch's court advocated for a facility under the king's authority, against the wishes of the former governor.
Strategic Positioning
This left Mowaa in a difficult situation: asserting a definite position on return while remaining diplomatic on custodianship – and stressing its larger purpose, which led to|c
