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Nigeria's impressive new West African Art Museum (Mowaa) has landed in the middle of local power politics during the week it was scheduled to – but failed – to begin operations to the public for the first time.

The Grand Vision

The 15-acre facility sits in the heart of the Edo state capital, administrative center of the southern area of Edo – and includes an archaeological dig and buildings planned by high-profile Ghanaian-British architect Sir David Adjaye, particularly noted for the National Museum of African American History and Culture that was inaugurated in the US capital in 2016.

It has been half a decade in the development – and is designed to celebrate both the history and the present of artistic expression in the region renowned for the Benin Bronzes, historical pieces stolen from the king's palace by British soldiers in the 19th Century.

Setup and Prospects

It is notable – and before the scheduled opening, Mowaa was buzzing with staff resolved to prove it is a institution that can compete with well-known art institutions in the Europe and America.

Internally preservation experts precisely unwrapped artworks from safety materials, inspecting each artifact and taking thorough records before placing them on walls and plinths.

Technicians calibrated temperature regulation systems. In the materials science laboratory, personnel calibrated equipment designed to conserve centuries-old artefacts.

Investment and Economic Plans

The initiative has been the concept of investor Phillip Ihenacho – presently Mowaa's managing director.

"I want us to have a major economic benefit on local residents in this region," he explained to journalists, noting that he aspired to make the city "a tourism center."

Mowaa, a charitable national foundation, aims at establishing more than 30,000 employment opportunities and adding more than $80m each year to the area arts sector through partnerships and activities.

Financial Support and Government Issues

It has required $25m to get here – money collected from various donors, including the French and German governments, the UK museum and the local administration.

But now the state authorities has revoked permission from under it – revoking the use of the property on which the facility was constructed.

An Edo state spokesperson clarified this was because in the original paperwork it had referred to itself as the Edo-named institution – and it had since dropped "the regional name" from its title.

Protests and Political Intervention

This statement followed rallies on the weekend, when protesters invaded the facility insisting it be named the Royal Benin Museum.

A rowdy assembly confronted international visitors at the museum ahead of the launch – requiring them to be hurried away under police escort.

Head of state Bola Tinubu has even stepped in to try and resolve the dispute, setting up a high-level committee to do some damage control.

Governance Issues

But how has this turned into so controversial – and such a PR disaster?

A great deal of it results from local power struggles at a area administrative level, as it was the ex-administrator Godwin Obaseki – whose term in office ended recently – who was a major backer of the museum.

And it seems the leadership of the recently elected official, a close ally of the area king, known as the Oba, may want more of a stake in the initiative. The demonstrators on that day, for case, were calling for that the institution be positioned under the control of the current Oba.

The Cultural Artifacts Debate

This emphasizes the controversial matter of the cultural artifacts, one of the continent's most renowned cultural treasures.

Because even if the facility does finally open, these artifacts will be noticeably missing.

They are metal, ivory and wooden carvings that once embellished the royal palace of the Benin Kingdom before colonial troops looted them in 1897 during a colonial invasion.

Today, thousands continue to be scattered across galleries in Western nations -- featuring the British Museum, German museum and the American museum.

Restitution Efforts

Their homecoming has become one of the most disputed debates in the international art community. Approximately 150 have presently come back – and further are scheduled to be repatriated.

When proposals for the facility in the urban center were originally proposed in 2019, the movers and shakers on the national arts community anticipated it would become their perfect venue – a modern complex to display them to the world.

But the situation became complicated two years ago after the national authorities announced that the royal leader would be the legal custodian of any returned bronzes – and the palace pushed for a museum under the king's authority, opposing the wishes of the ex-leader.

Strategic Positioning

This left Mowaa in a difficult situation: expressing a specific viewpoint on repatriation while staying tactful on ownership – and emphasising its larger purpose, which led to|c