Nigeria's impressive new Art Museum of West Africa (Mowaa) has landed in the crosshairs of local power politics during the week it was scheduled to – but was unable – to begin operations to the public for the first time.
The Major Initiative
The six-hectare complex stands in the core of Benin's urban center, administrative center of the southern area of Edo – and includes an historical dig and facilities planned by renowned dual heritage architect Sir David Adjaye, most famous for the Washington African American Museum that began operations in Washington in 2016.
It has been five years in the creation – and is designed to honor both the heritage and the modern times of artistic expression in the area renowned for the cultural artifacts, artworks taken from the city's royal palace by British soldiers in the 1800s.
Readiness and Potential
It is remarkable – and ahead of the anticipated opening, Mowaa was energetic with workers resolved to prove it is a place that can match established museums and galleries in the West.
Within preservation experts carefully opened artworks from protective packaging, examining each artifact and taking thorough records before placing them on exhibition areas and bases.
Technicians fine-tuned environmental controls. In the research lab, personnel set up equipment designed to preserve ancient objects.
Funding and Economic Goals
The initiative has been the brainchild of entrepreneur Phillip Ihenacho – presently Mowaa's chief executive.
"I want us to have a substantial financial effect on local residents in the vicinity," he told the press, noting that he wanted to make Benin City "an arts hub."
Mowaa, a not-for-profit national foundation, sees itself establishing more than 30,000 work positions and providing over $80m annually to the area arts sector through alliances and activities.
Investment and Administrative Problems
It has taken $25m to reach this point – capital raised from multiple contributors, featuring the international partners, the British Museum and the Edo state government.
But now the local government has pulled the rug from beneath it – revoking the occupancy of the land on which the museum was built.
An official representative stated this was because in the initial documents it had referred to itself as the Edo-named institution – and it had later eliminated "the regional name" from its title.
Unrest and Official Response
This declaration came after demonstrations on the weekend, when protesters entered the facility insisting it be called the Benin Royal Museum.
A rowdy group confronted international visitors at the venue ahead of the opening – compelling them to be hurried away under police escort.
National leader Bola Tinubu has also intervened to attempt to settle the tensions, setting up a high-level committee to manage the situation.
Political Complexities
But in what way has this become so politicised – and such a PR disaster?
A great deal of it stems from local power struggles at a regional government level, as it was Edo's previous governor Godwin Obaseki – whose administration concluded recently – who was a major backer of the museum.
And it appears the government of the new governor, a strong supporter of the regional monarch, known as the Oba, may desire increased control in the initiative. The protesters on the weekend, for example, were demanding that the facility be positioned under the control of the current Oba.
The Benin Bronzes Controversy
This brings into focus the controversial matter of the Benin Bronzes, one of Africa's most celebrated cultural treasures.
Because though the museum does eventually begin operations, these bronzes will be conspicuously absent.
They are brass, ivory and wooden carvings that once decorated the monarch's home of the historical empire before colonial troops took them in the late nineteenth century during a colonial invasion.
Currently, many remain distributed across galleries in the West -- featuring the UK institution, German museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Return Initiatives
Their return has become one of the most contested conversations in the international art community. Roughly 150 have presently come back – and more are expected to return.
When plans for the museum in the urban center were initially revealed in the pre-pandemic era, the key players on the national arts community expected it would become their perfect venue – a advanced facility to exhibit them to the global audience.
But the waters were muddied some time back after the national authorities declared that the traditional ruler would be the rightful owner of repatriated artifacts – and the royal household advocated for a museum under the royal family's direct control, against the wishes of the former governor.
Political Navigation
This left Mowaa in a difficult situation: maintaining a clear stance on restitution while staying tactful on guardianship – and emphasising its wider mission, which led to|c
