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Nigeria's impressive new Museum of West African Art (Mowaa) has ended up in the middle of regional political struggles during the week it was supposed to – but failed – to begin operations to the public for the very first time.

The Ambitious Project

The 15-acre facility is located in the heart of Benin City, capital of the southern area of Edo – and features an excavation site and structures created by renowned British-Ghanaian architect Sir David Adjaye, best known for the Smithsonian African American Museum that began operations in Washington DC in 2016.

It has been five years in the making – and is planned to honor both the past and the modern times of creativity in the locale renowned for the historic artworks, historical pieces stolen from the king's palace by UK forces in the 1800s.

Preparation and Promise

It is notable – and ahead of the planned opening, Mowaa was active with staff resolved to show it is a place that can compete with well-known art institutions in the West.

Within preservation experts precisely unwrapped art pieces from protective packaging, checking each artifact and taking thorough documentation before placing them on exhibition areas and bases.

Technicians calibrated environmental controls. In the materials science laboratory, personnel calibrated devices meant to preserve centuries-old artefacts.

Funding and Economic Goals

The initiative has been the concept of businessman Phillip Ihenacho – currently Mowaa's managing director.

"I aim us to have a significant economic benefit on area populations around here," he explained to journalists, adding that he hoped to make the city "a cultural destination."

Mowaa, a not-for-profit Nigerian institution, envisions itself creating over 30,000 employment opportunities and providing over $80m annually to the regional creative economy through collaborations and events.

Funding Sources and Political Challenges

It has needed $25m to get here – money raised from multiple donors, such as the international partners, the UK museum and the Edo state government.

But now the regional administration has withdrawn support from beneath it – terminating the use of the property on which the museum was built.

An official representative stated this was because in the original paperwork it had called itself the Edo-named institution – and it had subsequently removed "the state identifier" from its name.

Unrest and Official Response

This statement was preceded by rallies on the weekend, when activists entered the campus insisting it be designated the Museum of the Benin Kingdom.

A rowdy assembly insulted overseas dignitaries at the venue before the inauguration – compelling them to be hurried away under security protection.

President Bola Tinubu has also stepped in to work to address the conflict, setting up a presidential committee to manage the situation.

Administrative Challenges

But in what way has this evolved into so politicised – and such a public relations crisis?

Much of it comes down to internecine rivalries at a local state level, as it was the ex-administrator Godwin Obaseki – whose administration finished last year – who was a key supporter of the project.

And it appears the administration of the new governor, a close ally of the local traditional ruler, known as the traditional leader, may desire more of a stake in the initiative. The demonstrators on the weekend, for case, were calling for that the facility be put under the authority of the royal leader.

The Benin Bronzes Controversy

This brings into focus the disputed topic of the Benin Bronzes, one of Africa's most famous artistic heritage.

Because even if the museum does finally begin operations, these bronzes will be conspicuously absent.

They are brass, elephant tusk and wooden artworks that once decorated the king's residence of the ancient kingdom before British soldiers took them in the colonial era during a military operation.

Today, many remain scattered across institutions in Europe and North America -- such as the UK institution, European center and the American museum.

Return Initiatives

Their repatriation has become one of the most disputed discussions in the international art community. Roughly 150 have presently been returned – and more are expected to return.

When proposals for the institution in the urban center were originally proposed in 2019, the movers and shakers on the national arts community expected it would become their natural home – a state-of-the-art facility to show them off to the world.

But the issues became confused recently after the federal government declared that the Oba would be the legal custodian of any returned bronzes – and the palace campaigned for a facility under the monarch's supervision, contrary to the desires of Obaseki.

Political Navigation

This placed Mowaa in a difficult situation: asserting a definite position on restitution while remaining diplomatic on custodianship – and emphasising its wider mission, which led to|c