Nigeria's remarkable new West African Art Museum (Mowaa) has ended up in the middle of area political conflicts during the period it was supposed to – but did not manage – to open its doors to the visitors for the very first time.
The Ambitious Project
The six-hectare campus stands in the center of Benin City, capital of the southern state of Edo – and features an excavation site and facilities designed by celebrated British-Ghanaian architect Sir David Adjaye, best known for the National Museum of African American History and Culture that opened in Washington DC in 2016.
It has been half a decade in the creation – and is designed to celebrate both the past and the modern times of creativity in the locale famous for the historic artworks, historical pieces looted from the king's palace by British soldiers in the 19th Century.
Preparation and Promise
It is impressive – and prior to the planned opening, Mowaa was buzzing with workers determined to show it is a institution that can compete with renowned art institutions in the Europe and America.
Inside art restorers carefully opened artworks from protective packaging, checking each piece and taking detailed records before arranging them on display surfaces and stands.
Experts calibrated temperature regulation systems. In the research lab, personnel set up devices intended to maintain ancient items.
Financial Backing and Economic Vision
The project has been the concept of businessman Phillip Ihenacho – now Mowaa's executive director.
"I want us to have a major financial effect on area populations in the vicinity," he explained to media outlets, noting that he aspired to make this urban center "an arts hub."
Mowaa, a charitable national foundation, envisions itself generating over 30,000 work positions and providing above $80m each year to the local cultural industry through collaborations and programming.
Financial Support and Government Issues
It has taken $25m to reach this point – funds gathered from different donors, such as the European governments, the London institution and the regional authorities.
But at present the local government has pulled the rug from beneath it – terminating the use of the site on which the facility was constructed.
An official representative stated this was because in the original paperwork it had referred to itself as Edo Museum of West African Art – and it had since dropped "Edo" from its designation.
Protests and Political Intervention
This announcement was preceded by protests on the weekend, when people entered the complex insisting it be called the Benin Royal Museum.
A boisterous crowd harassed foreign guests at the museum before the launch – compelling them to be hurried away under police escort.
Head of state Bola Tinubu has additionally stepped in to attempt to settle the dispute, setting up a special task force to address the controversy.
Governance Issues
But in what way has this evolved into so politicised – and such a public relations crisis?
A great deal of it comes down to internal conflicts at a regional government level, as it was the former state leader Godwin Obaseki – whose term in office finished the previous year – who was a major backer of the initiative.
And it seems the administration of the recently elected official, a close ally of the area king, referred to as the royal figure, may seek increased control in the project. The activists on that day, for example, were insisting that the institution be positioned under the control of Oba Ewuare II.
The Cultural Artifacts Debate
This brings into focus the contentious issue of the historical artworks, one of the continent's most celebrated cultural treasures.
Because even if the museum does eventually welcome visitors, these artifacts will be conspicuously absent.
They are metal, elephant tusk and timber artworks that once embellished the monarch's home of the ancient kingdom before British soldiers looted them in the late nineteenth century during a colonial invasion.
Today, thousands continue to be spread across museums in Western nations -- featuring the London museum, Berlin's Humboldt Forum and the American museum.
Return Initiatives
Their repatriation has become one of the most disputed discussions in the global art world. Roughly 150 have now come back – and additional are scheduled to be repatriated.
When proposals for the institution in Benin City were initially revealed in recent years, the influential figures on the national arts community hoped it would become their perfect venue – a state-of-the-art campus to show them off to the global audience.
But the issues became confused two years ago after the central administration stated that the traditional ruler would be the rightful owner of repatriated artifacts – and the monarch's court campaigned for a museum under the king's authority, opposing the wishes of the ex-leader.
Political Navigation
This left Mowaa in a delicate position: expressing a clear stance on restitution while remaining diplomatic on custodianship – and stressing its larger purpose, which led to|c