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Nigeria's stunning new Museum of West African Art (Mowaa) has landed in the crosshairs of area political conflicts during the week it was expected to – but was unable – to open its doors to the visitors for the first time.

The Ambitious Project

The six-hectare campus is located in the heart of Benin's urban center, administrative center of the southern area of Edo – and contains an historical dig and facilities created by high-profile Ghanaian-British architect Sir David Adjaye, best known for the Washington African American Museum that opened in Washington in 2016.

It has been five years in the making – and is planned to celebrate both the heritage and the present of artistic expression in the locale known for the Benin Bronzes, cultural objects taken from the city's royal palace by British soldiers in the nineteenth century.

Readiness and Potential

It is notable – and ahead of the anticipated opening, Mowaa was buzzing with employees committed to show it is a venue that can compete with well-known museums and galleries in the West.

Within art restorers precisely opened art pieces from protective packaging, examining each piece and taking detailed documentation before positioning them on display surfaces and bases.

Experts fine-tuned temperature regulation systems. In the scientific facility, staff members adjusted devices designed to conserve ancient artefacts.

Funding and Economic Goals

The initiative has been the brainchild of entrepreneur Phillip Ihenacho – presently Mowaa's chief executive.

"I aim us to have a substantial economic impact on local residents in this region," he explained to media outlets, mentioning that he wanted to make the city "a cultural destination."

Mowaa, a non-profit local organization, aims at generating over 30,000 employment opportunities and providing above $80m per year to the local cultural industry through alliances and events.

Financial Support and Government Issues

It has needed $25m to reach this point – money gathered from multiple supporters, such as the international partners, the British Museum and the Edo state government.

But currently the local government has revoked permission from under it – terminating the use of the land on which the building was erected.

An official representative clarified this was because in the original paperwork it had called itself Edo Museum of West African Art – and it had later removed "the state identifier" from its designation.

Demonstrations and Government Action

This declaration came after protests on recently, when protesters stormed the facility calling for it be named the Benin Royal Museum.

A boisterous crowd insulted foreign guests at the facility prior to the inauguration – requiring them to be quickly removed under security protection.

National leader Bola Tinubu has even intervened to try and resolve the dispute, establishing a special task force to do some damage control.

Governance Issues

But how has this become so politicised – and such a public relations crisis?

The majority of it stems from internal conflicts at a area administrative level, as it was the former state leader Godwin Obaseki – whose administration concluded the previous year – who was a key supporter of the initiative.

And it appears the administration of the current leader, a strong supporter of the area king, called the royal figure, may desire greater involvement in the project. The activists on that day, for instance, were calling for that the institution be put under the authority of the royal leader.

The Cultural Artifacts Debate

This brings into focus the contentious issue of the cultural artifacts, one of the continent's most celebrated historical legacy.

Because even if the museum does ultimately open, these objects will be conspicuously absent.

They are brass, elephant tusk and timber artworks that once decorated the monarch's home of the historical empire before colonial troops took them in 1897 during a military operation.

Today, many remain spread across galleries in Europe and North America -- such as the British Museum, European center and the New York institution.

Repatriation Campaigns

Their return has become one of the most debated conversations in the international art community. Roughly 150 have now come back – and further are due to follow.

When plans for the facility in the urban center were originally proposed in 2019, the key players on the national arts community hoped it would become their ideal location – a modern facility to show them off to the international community.

But the waters were muddied recently after the federal government announced that the Oba would be the legal custodian of any returned bronzes – and the royal household pushed for a institution under the king's authority, contrary to the preferences of the ex-leader.

Diplomatic Challenges

This placed Mowaa in a difficult situation: maintaining a definite position on repatriation while being careful on ownership – and emphasising its larger purpose, which led to|c