The nation's impressive new West African Art Museum (Mowaa) has found itself in the center of regional political struggles during the week it was expected to – but was unable – to welcome visitors to the public for the initial occasion.
The Ambitious Project
The six-hectare campus stands in the heart of the Edo state capital, capital of the southern area of Edo – and contains an historical dig and facilities designed by high-profile dual heritage architect Sir David Adjaye, most famous for the National Museum of African American History and Culture that was inaugurated in Washington in 2016.
It has been five years in the creation – and is designed to celebrate both the past and the modern times of cultural innovation in the locale renowned for the cultural artifacts, cultural objects taken from the royal palace by British soldiers in the 1800s.
Setup and Prospects
It is impressive – and before the scheduled opening, Mowaa was buzzing with staff determined to prove it is a venue that can match established cultural centers in the Europe and America.
Within art restorers precisely opened artworks from safety materials, examining each artifact and taking thorough notes before positioning them on walls and plinths.
Specialists fine-tuned climate control systems. In the scientific facility, personnel calibrated equipment meant to maintain ancient items.
Funding and Economic Goals
The initiative has been the concept of investor Phillip Ihenacho – currently Mowaa's executive director.
"I want us to have a significant economic benefit on area populations in this region," he told journalists, noting that he aspired to make the city "a tourism center."
Mowaa, a non-profit national foundation, sees itself establishing over 30,000 direct and indirect jobs and providing over $80m each year to the regional creative economy through collaborations and events.
Investment and Administrative Problems
It has required $25m to reach this point – funds collected from different supporters, such as the international partners, the UK museum and the Edo state government.
But at present the regional administration has pulled the rug from below it – revoking the occupancy of the site on which the museum was built.
An government communicator explained this was because in the initial documents it had called itself EMOWAA – and it had subsequently removed "Edo" from its name.
Demonstrations and Government Action
This announcement was preceded by rallies on the weekend, when people invaded the facility insisting it be called the Royal Benin Museum.
A rowdy group harassed international visitors at the museum before the opening – compelling them to be escorted out under police escort.
President Bola Tinubu has even intervened to try and resolve the dispute, setting up a high-level committee to address the controversy.
Governance Issues
But in what way has this become so politicised – and such a reputation problem?
A great deal of it stems from internecine rivalries at a local state level, as it was the former state leader Godwin Obaseki – whose governance finished last year – who was a major backer of the project.
And it looks like the administration of the recently elected official, a strong supporter of the area king, called the Oba, may desire increased control in the venture. The demonstrators on the weekend, for example, were insisting that the facility be placed under the supervision of Oba Ewuare II.
The Benin Bronzes Controversy
This brings into focus the controversial matter of the Benin Bronzes, one of the continent's most famous historical legacy.
Because even if the museum does ultimately open, these bronzes will be clearly not present.
They are metal, elephant tusk and timber artworks that once adorned the monarch's home of the Benin Kingdom before British soldiers looted them in the late nineteenth century during a colonial invasion.
Nowadays, many stay scattered across galleries in the West -- including the British Museum, Berlin's Humboldt Forum and the American museum.
Repatriation Campaigns
Their repatriation has become one of the most contested debates in the global art world. Approximately 150 have now come back – and additional are due to follow.
When proposals for the museum in the city were initially revealed in 2019, the influential figures on the national arts community hoped it would become their perfect venue – a modern complex to display them to the world.
But the waters were muddied two years ago after the central administration declared that the traditional ruler would be the proper guardian of returned objects – and the royal household advocated for a facility under the royal family's direct control, contrary to the wishes of the former governor.
Political Navigation
This placed Mowaa in a difficult situation: expressing a definite position on restitution while staying tactful on ownership – and stressing its wider mission, which led to|c
