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Nigeria's remarkable new Art Museum of West Africa (Mowaa) has found itself in the middle of local power politics during the period it was supposed to – but was unable – to open its doors to the general public for the very first time.

The Ambitious Project

The large-scale complex is located in the heart of Benin's urban center, administrative center of the southern region of Edo – and contains an excavation site and buildings created by high-profile dual heritage 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 development – and is planned to celebrate both the past and the current era of cultural innovation in the area known for the Benin Bronzes, cultural objects stolen from the royal palace by UK forces in the 1800s.

Setup and Prospects

It is remarkable – and before the anticipated opening, Mowaa was active with staff determined to show it is a place that can rival renowned art institutions in the Western world.

Within preservation experts carefully unwrapped artworks from protective packaging, checking each item and taking meticulous documentation before placing them on exhibition areas and stands.

Specialists calibrated environmental controls. In the research lab, officers set up equipment designed to conserve centuries-old items.

Funding and Economic Goals

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

"I want us to have a substantial financial effect on local residents in the vicinity," he told the press, adding that he wanted to make Benin City "an arts hub."

Mowaa, a non-profit Nigerian institution, sees itself generating in excess of 30,000 work positions and adding over $80m annually to the area arts sector through collaborations and events.

Investment and Administrative Problems

It has taken $25m to get here – money raised from various contributors, featuring the international partners, the UK museum and the Edo state government.

But now the regional administration has revoked permission from under it – canceling the use of the land on which the building was erected.

An official representative clarified this was because in the original paperwork it had referred to itself as the Edo-named institution – and it had subsequently dropped "the state identifier" from its name.

Protests and Political Intervention

This announcement came after demonstrations on Sunday, when protesters invaded the complex calling for it be named the Museum of the Benin Kingdom.

A disruptive crowd insulted overseas dignitaries at the facility prior to the opening – forcing them to be quickly removed under official guard.

National leader Bola Tinubu has even intervened to try and resolve the conflict, setting up a high-level committee to address the controversy.

Political Complexities

But in what way has this turned into so politicised – and such a PR disaster?

Much of it stems from internal conflicts at a regional government level, as it was the ex-administrator Godwin Obaseki – whose governance finished last year – who was a key supporter of the project.

And it appears the leadership of the new governor, a close ally of the area king, known as the Oba, may want more of a stake in the venture. The activists on that day, for example, were demanding that the institution be positioned under the control of the current Oba.

The Cultural Artifacts Debate

This brings into focus the contentious issue of the cultural artifacts, one of Africa's most renowned artistic heritage.

Because although the facility does eventually open, these objects will be conspicuously absent.

They are metal, ivory and wooden carvings that once decorated the monarch's home of the ancient kingdom before British soldiers took them in the colonial era during a colonial invasion.

Currently, thousands stay distributed across museums in the West -- featuring the UK institution, Berlin's Humboldt Forum and the American museum.

Repatriation Campaigns

Their homecoming has become one of the most debated debates in the international art community. Roughly 150 have now made their way home – and more are due to follow.

When ideas for the facility in the urban center were initially revealed in the pre-pandemic era, the movers and shakers on Nigeria's art scene hoped it would become their perfect venue – a advanced facility to display them to the international community.

But the waters were muddied some time back after the central administration declared that the royal leader would be the legal custodian of returned objects – and the palace pushed for a museum under the royal family's direct control, against the wishes of Obaseki.

Political Navigation

This placed Mowaa in a difficult situation: asserting a clear stance on restitution while being careful on ownership – and stressing its larger purpose, which led to|c