The nation's remarkable new Museum of West African Art (Mowaa) has found itself in the center of regional political struggles during the week it was expected to – but did not manage – to open its doors to the visitors for the first time.
The Grand Vision
The 15-acre complex sits in the core of Benin's urban center, administrative center of the southern region of Edo – and includes an historical dig and buildings created by high-profile British-Ghanaian 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 past and the modern times of artistic expression in the locale renowned for the Benin Bronzes, historical pieces looted from the royal palace by British soldiers in the nineteenth century.
Preparation and Promise
It is impressive – and before the scheduled opening, Mowaa was active with employees committed to show it is a institution that can compete with well-known museums and galleries in the Europe and America.
Internally art restorers precisely opened cultural items from secure wrapping, examining each artifact and taking thorough notes before arranging them on walls and bases.
Technicians fine-tuned climate control systems. In the materials science laboratory, personnel set up devices designed to maintain historical objects.
Financial Backing and Economic Vision
The venture has been the concept of entrepreneur Phillip Ihenacho – currently Mowaa's managing director.
"I want us to have a substantial financial effect on area populations around here," he told journalists, noting that he wanted to make Benin City "a tourism center."
Mowaa, a charitable Nigerian institution, envisions itself creating in excess of 30,000 employment opportunities and providing over $80m each year to the regional creative economy through alliances and activities.
Investment and Administrative Problems
It has taken $25m to get here – funds collected from multiple contributors, including the international partners, the London institution and the local administration.
But now the local government has pulled the rug from below it – canceling the occupancy of the land on which the museum was built.
An government communicator clarified this was because in the initial documents it had identified as the Edo-named institution – and it had subsequently dropped "the regional name" from its designation.
Demonstrations and Government Action
This statement was preceded by protests on the weekend, when protesters stormed the complex calling for it be called the Museum of the Benin Kingdom.
A rowdy crowd confronted foreign guests at the venue before the opening – requiring them to be escorted out under police escort.
President Bola Tinubu has even become involved to try and resolve the dispute, establishing a high-level committee to do some damage control.
Administrative Challenges
But how has this evolved into so divisive – and such a PR disaster?
The majority of it stems from internecine rivalries at a regional government level, as it was the former state leader Godwin Obaseki – whose administration finished the previous year – who was a key supporter of the museum.
And it seems the government of the new governor, a strong supporter of the local traditional ruler, referred to as the royal figure, may seek increased control in the project. The protesters on Sunday, for instance, were insisting that the facility be put under the supervision of Oba Ewuare II.
The Historical Objects Discussion
This brings into focus the disputed topic of the cultural artifacts, one of the region's most famous cultural treasures.
Because even if the facility does ultimately open, these artifacts will be noticeably missing.
They are metal, elephant tusk and timber artworks that once decorated the king's residence of the Benin Kingdom before UK forces took them in the colonial era during a colonial invasion.
Currently, numerous remain spread across galleries in the West -- such as the UK institution, Berlin's Humboldt Forum and the American museum.
Restitution Efforts
Their return has become one of the most contested discussions in the worldwide cultural sector. Roughly 150 have now been returned – and additional are due to follow.
When plans for the museum in the city were first announced in the pre-pandemic era, the key players on Nigeria's art scene expected it would become their natural home – a advanced facility to display them to the global audience.
But the situation became complicated two years ago after the federal government stated that the Oba would be the proper guardian of repatriated artifacts – and the monarch's court advocated for a institution under the royal family's direct control, opposing the wishes of the former governor.
Strategic Positioning
This left Mowaa in a delicate position: asserting a definite position on restitution while being careful on ownership – and stressing its wider mission, which led to|c
