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The nation's remarkable new Museum of West African Art (Mowaa) has ended up in the middle of local power politics during the time it was expected to – but did not manage – to begin operations to the public for the initial occasion.

The Major Initiative

The 15-acre campus sits in the heart of Benin City, main city of the southern state of Edo – and includes an excavation site and facilities created by high-profile British-Ghanaian architect Sir David Adjaye, most famous for the Smithsonian African American Museum that began operations in Washington DC in 2016.

It has been half a decade in the making – and is planned to showcase both the heritage and the present of cultural innovation in the region known for the Benin Bronzes, historical pieces stolen from the city's royal palace by UK forces in the nineteenth century.

Readiness and Potential

It is remarkable – and prior to the scheduled opening, Mowaa was active with workers determined to show it is a institution that can compete with well-known art institutions in the Western world.

Within art restorers precisely unwrapped artworks from secure wrapping, checking each piece and taking thorough records before arranging them on exhibition areas and plinths.

Experts adjusted climate control systems. In the scientific facility, staff members calibrated instruments intended to conserve historical items.

Investment and Economic Plans

The project has been the brainchild of investor Phillip Ihenacho – now Mowaa's chief executive.

"I hope us to have a significant economic impact on area populations in this region," he told media outlets, adding that he aspired to make Benin City "an arts hub."

Mowaa, a charitable Nigerian institution, envisions itself establishing over 30,000 employment opportunities and contributing more than $80m per year to the local cultural industry through partnerships and programming.

Investment and Administrative Problems

It has taken $25m to reach this point – capital raised from multiple donors, including the French and German governments, the British Museum and the Edo state government.

But at present the local government has pulled the rug from under it – revoking the utilization of the site on which the museum was built.

An Edo state spokesperson clarified this was because in the initial documents it had identified as the Edo-named institution – and it had subsequently removed "the state identifier" from its designation.

Unrest and Official Response

This statement followed rallies on Sunday, when people invaded the complex insisting it be named the Museum of the Benin Kingdom.

A rowdy group harassed foreign guests at the venue ahead of the opening – forcing them to be quickly removed under official guard.

National leader Bola Tinubu has even intervened to try and resolve the conflict, creating a presidential committee to address the controversy.

Administrative Challenges

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

Much of it stems from internecine rivalries at a area administrative level, as it was the former state leader Godwin Obaseki – whose governance finished last year – who was a key supporter of the initiative.

And it appears the leadership of the recently elected official, a key associate of the regional monarch, referred to as the Oba, may seek greater involvement in the venture. The protesters on the weekend, for example, were calling for that the facility be put under the authority of the current Oba.

The Historical Objects Discussion

This brings into focus the contentious issue of the historical artworks, one of the region's most famous cultural treasures.

Because though the institution does finally welcome visitors, these bronzes will be clearly not present.

They are brass, ivory and wooden sculptures that once adorned the monarch's home of the Benin Kingdom before colonial troops took them in the colonial era during a military operation.

Currently, many remain distributed across museums in Europe and North America -- such as the UK institution, Berlin's Humboldt Forum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Repatriation Campaigns

Their repatriation has become one of the most disputed discussions in the global art world. Approximately 150 have now made their way home – and further are due to follow.

When ideas for the museum in Benin City were initially revealed in 2019, the influential figures on the national arts community expected it would become their ideal location – a state-of-the-art complex to exhibit them to the global audience.

But the situation became complicated some time back after the federal government announced that the traditional ruler would be the rightful owner of repatriated artifacts – and the palace pushed for a museum under the royal family's direct control, opposing the preferences of the ex-leader.

Strategic Positioning

This placed Mowaa in a challenging circumstance: maintaining a clear stance on return while staying tactful on ownership – and highlighting its larger purpose, which led to|c