The nation's remarkable new West African Art Museum (Mowaa) has landed in the center of regional political struggles during the period it was scheduled to – but was unable – to open its doors to the general public for the very first time.
The Grand Vision
The six-hectare complex sits in the heart of the Edo state capital, capital of the southern region of Edo – and includes an excavation site and buildings planned by renowned Ghanaian-British architect Sir David Adjaye, best known for the Washington African American Museum that was inaugurated in Washington DC in 2016.
It has been 60 months in the creation – and is planned to showcase both the heritage and the present of creativity in the locale known for the Benin Bronzes, cultural objects looted from the royal palace by British soldiers in the 1800s.
Readiness and Potential
It is remarkable – and prior to the anticipated opening, Mowaa was active with workers determined to prove it is a place that can compete with established art institutions in the West.
Internally art restorers carefully unwrapped cultural items from secure wrapping, examining each artifact and taking detailed documentation before placing them on display surfaces and plinths.
Experts fine-tuned climate control systems. In the research lab, officers set up equipment meant to maintain historical objects.
Investment and Economic Plans
The venture has been the concept of investor Phillip Ihenacho – presently Mowaa's managing director.
"I want us to have a significant economic benefit on local residents in the vicinity," he told journalists, noting that he wanted to make the city "a cultural destination."
Mowaa, a not-for-profit local organization, envisions itself generating in excess of 30,000 work positions and contributing over $80m annually to the area arts sector through partnerships and programming.
Investment and Administrative Problems
It has taken $25m to achieve this stage – money raised from various donors, such as the French and German governments, the British Museum and the Edo state government.
But currently the regional administration has withdrawn support from beneath it – terminating the use of the property on which the building was erected.
An official representative stated this was because in the initial documents it had identified as EMOWAA – and it had later eliminated "the regional name" from its title.
Protests and Political Intervention
This statement came after protests on Sunday, when activists entered the facility insisting it be designated the Benin Royal Museum.
A rowdy crowd confronted foreign guests at the museum prior to the inauguration – compelling them to be escorted out under official guard.
Head of state Bola Tinubu has also become involved to try and resolve the dispute, setting up a high-level committee to manage the situation.
Political Complexities
But in what way has this turned into so controversial – and such a PR disaster?
Much of it stems from internecine rivalries at a local state level, as it was Edo's previous governor Godwin Obaseki – whose administration concluded last year – who was a primary advocate of the museum.
And it seems the leadership of the new governor, a close ally of the local traditional ruler, called the royal figure, may want increased control in the initiative. The protesters on that day, for example, were demanding that the institution be positioned under the authority of the royal leader.
The Cultural Artifacts Debate
This brings into focus the controversial matter of the Benin Bronzes, one of the continent's most celebrated artistic heritage.
Because even if the institution does eventually welcome visitors, these artifacts will be clearly not present.
They are brass, elephant tusk and wooden sculptures that once adorned the royal palace of the historical empire before colonial troops took them in the colonial era during a punitive expedition.
Currently, numerous remain distributed across museums in the West -- including the London museum, Berlin's Humboldt Forum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Repatriation Campaigns
Their repatriation has become one of the most debated debates in the worldwide cultural sector. About 150 have presently been returned – and further are scheduled to be repatriated.
When ideas for the museum in Benin City were first announced in the pre-pandemic era, the movers and shakers on the national arts community expected it would become their ideal location – a state-of-the-art complex to show them off to the world.
But the waters were muddied some time back after the central administration announced that the Oba would be the rightful owner of returned objects – and the palace advocated for a institution under the king's authority, contrary to the desires of the ex-leader.
Strategic Positioning
This placed Mowaa in a delicate position: asserting a clear stance on repatriation while staying tactful on ownership – and highlighting its wider mission, which led to|c
