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Nigeria's stunning new Museum of West African Art (Mowaa) has landed in the middle of area political conflicts during the time it was expected to – but failed – to open its doors to the public for the initial occasion.

The Major Initiative

The six-hectare facility sits in the center of Benin City, main city of the southern region of Edo – and features an historical dig and structures planned by high-profile British-Ghanaian architect Sir David Adjaye, best known for the Washington African American Museum that began operations in Washington in 2016.

It has been 60 months in the making – and is envisioned to showcase both the history and the present of cultural innovation in the region famous for the cultural artifacts, historical pieces taken from the royal palace by British soldiers in the nineteenth century.

Preparation and Promise

It is impressive – and before the planned opening, Mowaa was buzzing with employees resolved to demonstrate it is a place that can match renowned museums and galleries in the West.

Within art restorers carefully unwrapped cultural items from secure wrapping, checking each item and taking meticulous documentation before positioning them on walls and plinths.

Technicians calibrated climate control systems. In the research lab, personnel adjusted devices intended to maintain centuries-old items.

Financial Backing and Economic Vision

The venture has been the brainchild of investor Phillip Ihenacho – now Mowaa's chief executive.

"I want us to have a significant financial effect on communities in this region," he stated to journalists, mentioning that he aspired to make Benin City "a cultural destination."

Mowaa, a not-for-profit local organization, aims at creating over 30,000 direct and indirect jobs and providing above $80m each year to the area arts sector through partnerships and programming.

Financial Support and Government Issues

It has needed $25m to get here – funds collected from various donors, featuring the international partners, the London institution and the local administration.

But currently the regional administration has pulled the rug from below it – terminating the use of the land on which the museum was built.

An government communicator explained this was because in the early agreements it had identified as Edo Museum of West African Art – and it had later dropped "the regional name" from its designation.

Protests and Political Intervention

This declaration came after rallies on Sunday, when people stormed the campus insisting it be named the Benin Royal Museum.

A boisterous crowd harassed foreign guests at the venue before the opening – requiring them to be escorted out under police escort.

President Bola Tinubu has also intervened to try and resolve the dispute, creating a special task force to address the controversy.

Governance Issues

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

The majority of it comes down to local power struggles at a local state level, as it was the ex-administrator Godwin Obaseki – whose term in office ended last year – who was a major backer of the project.

And it looks like the government of the new governor, a key associate of the area king, referred to as the traditional leader, may desire greater involvement in the initiative. The activists on that day, for example, were calling for that the institution be positioned under the control of the royal leader.

The Benin Bronzes Controversy

This brings into focus the controversial matter of the historical artworks, one of the region's most famous cultural treasures.

Because though the institution does ultimately open, these artifacts will be clearly not present.

They are brass, ivory and timber carvings that once embellished the monarch's home of the Benin Kingdom before UK forces took them in 1897 during a punitive expedition.

Currently, numerous remain spread across museums in Western nations -- such as the UK institution, German museum and the New York institution.

Restitution Efforts

Their return has become one of the most disputed debates in the worldwide cultural sector. About 150 have presently been returned – and more are expected to return.

When plans for the institution in the city were initially revealed in 2019, the key players on the national arts community anticipated it would become their natural home – a advanced campus to show them off to the international community.

But the waters were muddied recently after the central administration declared that the Oba would be the proper guardian of any returned bronzes – and the monarch's court campaigned for a museum under the royal family's direct control, contrary to the wishes of Obaseki.

Political Navigation

This left Mowaa in a difficult situation: maintaining a definite position on return while staying tactful on guardianship – and highlighting its larger purpose, which led to|c