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Nigeria's remarkable new West African Art Museum (Mowaa) has ended up in the middle of local power politics during the period it was scheduled to – but was unable – to open its doors to the public for the initial occasion.

The Ambitious Project

The large-scale campus is located in the center of Benin City, administrative center of the southern area of Edo – and features an excavation site and structures planned by celebrated dual heritage architect Sir David Adjaye, best known for the Washington African American Museum that was inaugurated in the US capital in 2016.

It has been 60 months in the development – and is designed to showcase both the history and the present of creativity in the locale famous for the cultural artifacts, artworks taken from the city's royal palace by British troops in the 1800s.

Preparation and Promise

It is remarkable – and before the anticipated opening, Mowaa was energetic with employees committed to demonstrate it is a institution that can compete with established museums and galleries in the West.

Internally art restorers meticulously revealed cultural items from secure wrapping, inspecting each artifact and taking thorough notes before arranging them on exhibition areas and plinths.

Technicians calibrated temperature regulation systems. In the materials science laboratory, officers adjusted equipment intended to maintain ancient objects.

Funding and Economic Goals

The project has been the idea of entrepreneur Phillip Ihenacho – currently Mowaa's managing director.

"I want us to have a significant financial effect on communities in the vicinity," he told journalists, adding that he wanted to make the city "a cultural destination."

Mowaa, a not-for-profit Nigerian institution, envisions itself creating over 30,000 employment opportunities and providing above $80m per year to the local cultural industry through partnerships and events.

Funding Sources and Political Challenges

It has needed $25m to achieve this stage – capital raised from multiple supporters, featuring the international partners, the UK museum and the Edo state government.

But at present the state authorities has pulled the rug from below it – canceling the use of the site on which the facility was constructed.

An official representative clarified this was because in the initial documents it had identified as EMOWAA – and it had later removed "the regional name" from its designation.

Demonstrations and Government Action

This announcement was preceded by demonstrations on recently, when people invaded the facility insisting it be designated the Museum of the Benin Kingdom.

A rowdy group harassed foreign guests at the venue before the launch – compelling them to be quickly removed under official guard.

President Bola Tinubu has additionally become involved to try and resolve the dispute, establishing a high-level committee to manage the situation.

Administrative Challenges

But in what way has this become so divisive – and such a reputation problem?

The majority of it stems from internal conflicts at a regional government level, as it was the ex-administrator Godwin Obaseki – whose administration ended the previous year – who was a major backer of the initiative.

And it appears the government of the new governor, a close ally of the area king, known as the royal figure, may want increased control in the initiative. The activists on the weekend, for instance, were calling for that the museum be put under the authority of the royal leader.

The Cultural Artifacts Debate

This brings into focus the disputed topic of the cultural artifacts, one of Africa's most celebrated historical legacy.

Because although the facility does finally begin operations, these artifacts will be clearly not present.

They are metal, ivory and wooden carvings that once adorned the royal palace of the ancient kingdom before colonial troops stole them in the colonial era during a punitive expedition.

Currently, many stay distributed across galleries in Europe and North America -- including the British Museum, Berlin's Humboldt Forum and the American museum.

Repatriation Campaigns

Their homecoming has become one of the most disputed discussions in the worldwide cultural sector. Approximately 150 have currently come back – and more are scheduled to be repatriated.

When proposals for the facility in Benin City were first announced in the pre-pandemic era, the movers and shakers on the country's cultural sector anticipated it would become their ideal location – a modern campus to show them off to the international community.

But the waters were muddied two years ago after the federal government stated that the traditional ruler would be the proper guardian of repatriated artifacts – and the monarch's court campaigned for a institution under the monarch's supervision, contrary to the desires of the ex-leader.

Diplomatic Challenges

This left Mowaa in a delicate position: maintaining a clear stance on return while being careful on guardianship – and stressing its broader vision, which led to|c