Nigeria's stunning new Museum of West African Art (Mowaa) has landed in the middle of local power politics during the week it was supposed to – but was unable – to begin operations to the general public for the very first time.
The Ambitious Project
The 15-acre facility sits in the center of the Edo state capital, administrative center of the southern region of Edo – and features an excavation site and facilities planned by renowned 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 five years in the creation – and is envisioned to celebrate both the history and the modern times of cultural innovation in the area known for the historic artworks, cultural objects stolen from the king's palace by British soldiers in the 19th Century.
Readiness and Potential
It is notable – and before the scheduled opening, Mowaa was buzzing with workers committed to show it is a place that can compete with renowned cultural centers in the West.
Inside art restorers carefully opened artworks from secure wrapping, examining each artifact and taking detailed notes before positioning them on walls and bases.
Technicians fine-tuned environmental controls. In the materials science laboratory, staff members adjusted devices designed to preserve historical artefacts.
Investment and Economic Plans
The project has been the idea of entrepreneur Phillip Ihenacho – presently Mowaa's managing director.
"I want us to have a major economic impact on area populations around here," he stated to media outlets, mentioning that he aspired to make Benin City "a tourism center."
Mowaa, a not-for-profit national foundation, sees itself creating over 30,000 work positions and providing more than $80m each year to the area arts sector through collaborations and events.
Investment and Administrative Problems
It has needed $25m to achieve this stage – money collected from different contributors, including the French and German governments, the London institution and the local administration.
But now the state authorities has withdrawn support from below it – canceling the occupancy of the land on which the facility was constructed.
An official representative explained this was because in the early agreements it had referred to itself as the Edo-named institution – and it had subsequently eliminated "the state identifier" from its name.
Unrest and Official Response
This announcement was preceded by demonstrations on recently, when protesters stormed the complex insisting it be named the Benin Royal Museum.
A disruptive crowd harassed overseas dignitaries at the museum ahead of the opening – requiring them to be quickly removed under official guard.
President Bola Tinubu has also intervened to attempt to settle the tensions, setting up a special task force to do some damage control.
Governance Issues
But in what way has this turned into so controversial – and such a PR disaster?
A great deal of it results from internecine rivalries at a area administrative level, as it was the former state leader Godwin Obaseki – whose administration ended recently – who was a primary advocate of the initiative.
And it appears the leadership of the new governor, a close ally of the area king, referred to as the traditional leader, may desire more of a stake in the project. The activists on Sunday, for instance, were demanding that the institution be put under the supervision of Oba Ewuare II.
The Cultural Artifacts Debate
This emphasizes the disputed topic of the cultural artifacts, one of the region's most renowned artistic heritage.
Because although the institution does eventually open, these artifacts will be conspicuously absent.
They are metal, elephant tusk and wooden artworks that once adorned the royal palace of the historical empire before UK forces took them in the late nineteenth century during a punitive expedition.
Today, thousands continue to be distributed across museums in Europe and North America -- featuring the UK institution, European center and the New York institution.
Return Initiatives
Their return has become one of the most contested debates in the global art world. About 150 have now made their way home – and further are due to follow.
When plans for the facility in the city were first announced in the pre-pandemic era, the movers and shakers on the national arts community hoped it would become their natural home – a state-of-the-art campus to exhibit them to the international community.
But the waters were muddied recently after the central administration announced that the traditional ruler would be the proper guardian of repatriated artifacts – and the royal household campaigned for a museum under the monarch's supervision, contrary to the preferences of Obaseki.
Political Navigation
This placed Mowaa in a challenging circumstance: expressing a clear stance on repatriation while being careful on guardianship – and emphasising its wider mission, which led to|c