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Nigeria's impressive new Art Museum of West Africa (Mowaa) has found itself in the center of local power politics during the week it was supposed to – but was unable – to welcome visitors to the general public for the very first time.

The Grand Vision

The 15-acre complex sits in the center of Benin City, capital of the southern area of Edo – and includes an excavation site and facilities designed by renowned British-Ghanaian architect Sir David Adjaye, particularly noted for the Washington African American Museum that was inaugurated in Washington in 2016.

It has been 60 months in the creation – and is planned to celebrate both the history and the present of cultural innovation in the region famous for the historic artworks, historical pieces looted from the royal palace by British troops in the 19th Century.

Preparation and Promise

It is impressive – and prior to the scheduled opening, Mowaa was energetic with workers determined to prove it is a venue that can rival renowned museums and galleries in the Europe and America.

Inside conservators meticulously opened cultural items from protective packaging, inspecting each piece and taking thorough notes before positioning them on display surfaces and plinths.

Experts calibrated environmental controls. In the materials science laboratory, staff members adjusted instruments intended to conserve ancient artefacts.

Funding and Economic Goals

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

"I aim us to have a major financial effect on local residents in this region," he stated to media outlets, noting that he wanted to make Benin City "an arts hub."

Mowaa, a non-profit local organization, sees itself creating in excess of 30,000 employment opportunities and contributing above $80m each year to the area arts sector through alliances and programming.

Investment and Administrative Problems

It has taken $25m to reach this point – money collected from multiple donors, including the international partners, the British Museum and the regional authorities.

But at present the state authorities has pulled the rug from under it – canceling the occupancy of the land on which the building was erected.

An Edo state spokesperson explained this was because in the initial documents it had referred to itself as the Edo-named institution – and it had since removed "the state identifier" from its designation.

Demonstrations and Government Action

This statement came after rallies on the weekend, when people stormed the complex calling for it be named the Museum of the Benin Kingdom.

A boisterous group harassed overseas dignitaries at the museum before the inauguration – compelling them to be hurried away under security protection.

National leader Bola Tinubu has even intervened to work to address the tensions, creating a presidential committee to do some damage control.

Political Complexities

But why has this turned into so controversial – and such a reputation problem?

The majority of it results from internecine rivalries at a local state level, as it was Edo's previous governor Godwin Obaseki – whose administration ended recently – who was a major backer of the project.

And it seems the government of the recently elected official, a key associate of the area king, called the Oba, may desire more of a stake in the project. The activists on that day, for instance, were demanding that the museum be put under the control of the current Oba.

The Historical Objects Discussion

This highlights the contentious issue of the cultural artifacts, one of Africa's most celebrated cultural treasures.

Because although the facility does ultimately welcome visitors, these objects will be conspicuously absent.

They are brass, ivory and timber artworks that once embellished the royal palace of the historical empire before British soldiers took them in the colonial era during a military operation.

Currently, thousands continue to be distributed across museums in Europe and North America -- such as the London museum, European center and the American museum.

Return Initiatives

Their repatriation has become one of the most disputed debates in the international art community. About 150 have presently been returned – and further are scheduled to be repatriated.

When ideas for the facility in Benin City were originally proposed in 2019, the key players on Nigeria's art scene expected it would become their perfect venue – a state-of-the-art facility to display them to the global audience.

But the issues became confused some time back after the national authorities declared that the royal leader would be the legal custodian of repatriated artifacts – and the royal household advocated for a facility under the royal family's direct control, opposing the desires of Obaseki.

Strategic Positioning

This placed Mowaa in a difficult situation: expressing a specific viewpoint on restitution while remaining diplomatic on guardianship – and emphasising its wider mission, which led to|c