The nation's stunning new Art Museum of West Africa (Mowaa) has ended up in the crosshairs of local power politics during the time it was expected to – but did not manage – to begin operations to the general public for the first time.
The Ambitious Project
The 15-acre complex is located in the heart of Benin City, capital of the southern area of Edo – and includes an historical dig and facilities created by celebrated British-Ghanaian architect Sir David Adjaye, most famous for the Smithsonian African American Museum that was inaugurated in Washington DC in 2016.
It has been half a decade in the development – and is designed to honor both the past and the current era of cultural innovation in the area renowned for the historic artworks, historical pieces stolen from the royal palace by UK forces in the nineteenth century.
Preparation and Promise
It is remarkable – and ahead of the anticipated opening, Mowaa was buzzing with workers determined to prove it is a institution that can compete with renowned museums and galleries in the Western world.
Internally conservators meticulously revealed cultural items from protective packaging, examining each item and taking detailed documentation before placing them on walls and plinths.
Specialists adjusted environmental controls. In the materials science laboratory, staff members calibrated devices intended to conserve historical artefacts.
Investment and Economic Plans
The project has been the concept of investor Phillip Ihenacho – now Mowaa's executive director.
"I want us to have a major economic benefit on local residents in the vicinity," he explained to journalists, mentioning that he wanted to make the city "a tourism center."
Mowaa, a charitable Nigerian institution, sees itself establishing more than 30,000 direct and indirect jobs and providing above $80m per year to the local cultural industry through alliances and activities.
Investment and Administrative Problems
It has required $25m to achieve this stage – money raised from various donors, including the French and German governments, the UK museum and the Edo state government.
But at present the regional administration has revoked permission from beneath it – revoking the use of the land on which the building was erected.
An government communicator clarified this was because in the initial documents it had called itself EMOWAA – and it had subsequently dropped "the regional name" from its name.
Demonstrations and Government Action
This announcement was preceded by rallies on Sunday, when people entered the facility insisting it be called the Royal Benin Museum.
A rowdy crowd confronted foreign guests at the venue before the inauguration – forcing them to be escorted out under security protection.
President Bola Tinubu has also intervened to work to address the tensions, setting up a special task force to manage the situation.
Governance Issues
But why has this turned into so politicised – and such a PR disaster?
Much of it results from internecine rivalries at a area administrative level, as it was the former state leader Godwin Obaseki – whose term in office finished recently – who was a key supporter of the initiative.
And it appears the administration of the current leader, a key associate of the regional monarch, called the traditional leader, may desire increased control in the project. The protesters on that day, for case, were insisting that the institution be placed under the control of Oba Ewuare II.
The Historical Objects Discussion
This brings into focus the controversial matter of the historical artworks, one of the region's most renowned historical legacy.
Because though the institution does eventually open, these bronzes will be conspicuously absent.
They are metal, ivory and timber sculptures that once decorated the monarch's home of the Benin Kingdom before British soldiers looted them in 1897 during a military operation.
Currently, numerous stay scattered across institutions in Europe and North America -- featuring the UK institution, European center and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Return Initiatives
Their return has become one of the most disputed debates in the worldwide cultural sector. Approximately 150 have now made their way home – and more are scheduled to be repatriated.
When proposals for the institution in the urban center were first announced in the pre-pandemic era, the influential figures on the country's cultural sector anticipated it would become their ideal location – a state-of-the-art facility to exhibit them to the international community.
But the waters were muddied two years ago after the federal government stated that the traditional ruler would be the legal custodian of repatriated artifacts – and the royal household campaigned for a museum under the royal family's direct control, against the wishes of the former governor.
Strategic Positioning
This placed Mowaa in a challenging circumstance: asserting a definite position on return while being careful on guardianship – and highlighting its broader vision, which led to|c
