Nigeria's stunning new West African Art Museum (Mowaa) has landed in the center of area political conflicts during the time it was supposed to – but failed – to open its doors to the general public for the first time.
The Ambitious Project
The six-hectare complex is located in the center of Benin City, main city of the southern state of Edo – and features an historical dig and structures created by high-profile British-Ghanaian architect Sir David Adjaye, most famous for the Washington African American Museum that began operations in Washington DC in 2016.
It has been half a decade in the making – and is designed to honor both the heritage and the current era of creativity in the region famous for the Benin Bronzes, historical pieces stolen from the city's royal palace by UK forces in the nineteenth century.
Setup and Prospects
It is impressive – and ahead of the planned opening, Mowaa was buzzing with staff determined to demonstrate it is a place that can compete with well-known cultural centers in the West.
Inside conservators precisely unwrapped cultural items from protective packaging, inspecting each item and taking meticulous documentation before arranging them on walls and stands.
Technicians calibrated environmental controls. In the materials science laboratory, staff members calibrated instruments designed to maintain ancient artefacts.
Investment and Economic Plans
The venture has been the brainchild of businessman Phillip Ihenacho – presently Mowaa's executive director.
"I want us to have a significant economic benefit on local residents in the vicinity," he explained to journalists, adding that he wanted to make the city "an arts hub."
Mowaa, a charitable Nigerian institution, aims at generating in excess of 30,000 direct and indirect jobs and adding more than $80m annually to the regional creative economy through alliances and programming.
Investment and Administrative Problems
It has required $25m to achieve this stage – capital raised from different donors, such as the international partners, the UK museum and the Edo state government.
But at present the local government has pulled the rug from beneath it – revoking the use of the land on which the museum was built.
An Edo state spokesperson clarified this was because in the initial documents it had identified as EMOWAA – and it had later eliminated "the regional name" from its designation.
Demonstrations and Government Action
This announcement was preceded by demonstrations on recently, when activists stormed the campus insisting it be called the Museum of the Benin Kingdom.
A disruptive group confronted foreign guests at the museum before the launch – requiring them to be quickly removed under police escort.
National leader Bola Tinubu has additionally become involved to try and resolve the tensions, setting up a special task force to address the controversy.
Governance Issues
But in what way has this evolved into so divisive – and such a PR disaster?
Much of it comes down to internecine rivalries at a area administrative level, as it was the ex-administrator Godwin Obaseki – whose term in office finished recently – who was a key supporter of the museum.
And it appears the administration of the current leader, a key associate of the area king, referred to as the Oba, may seek more of a stake in the project. The activists on that day, for instance, were calling for that the museum be placed under the control of the current Oba.
The Benin Bronzes Controversy
This brings into focus the disputed topic of the Benin Bronzes, one of the region's most celebrated cultural treasures.
Because although the institution does ultimately welcome visitors, these bronzes will be conspicuously absent.
They are brass, elephant tusk and wooden sculptures that once decorated the royal palace of the historical empire before colonial troops looted them in 1897 during a punitive expedition.
Currently, many remain distributed across museums in the West -- including the London museum, Berlin's Humboldt Forum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Return Initiatives
Their return has become one of the most disputed debates in the worldwide cultural sector. Roughly 150 have currently been returned – and additional are due to follow.
When ideas for the museum in Benin City were originally proposed in the pre-pandemic era, the movers and shakers on Nigeria's art scene anticipated it would become their ideal location – a state-of-the-art campus to display them to the international community.
But the waters were muddied two years ago after the central administration stated that the traditional ruler would be the legal custodian of any returned bronzes – and the royal household advocated for a institution under the king's authority, contrary to the desires of the ex-leader.
Political Navigation
This placed Mowaa in a difficult situation: expressing a specific viewpoint on repatriation while remaining diplomatic on custodianship – and emphasising its larger purpose, which led to|c
