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Nigeria's impressive new Museum of West African Art (Mowaa) has found itself in the middle of regional political struggles during the week it was supposed to – but did not manage – to welcome visitors to the visitors for the very first time.

The Grand Vision

The six-hectare facility sits in the center of Benin City, capital of the southern region of Edo – and contains an historical dig and facilities designed by high-profile British-Ghanaian architect Sir David Adjaye, particularly noted for the Smithsonian African American Museum that was inaugurated in Washington DC in 2016.

It has been half a decade in the creation – and is designed to showcase both the history and the current era of cultural innovation in the area renowned for the cultural artifacts, artworks taken from the royal palace by British soldiers in the nineteenth century.

Preparation and Promise

It is impressive – and prior to the scheduled opening, Mowaa was active with staff determined to show it is a institution that can rival established art institutions in the Europe and America.

Inside preservation experts precisely revealed art pieces from secure wrapping, checking each item and taking thorough documentation before arranging them on walls and stands.

Experts adjusted climate control systems. In the research lab, officers calibrated devices designed to maintain ancient artefacts.

Investment and Economic Plans

The project has been the brainchild of businessman Phillip Ihenacho – now Mowaa's managing director.

"I aim us to have a major economic impact on local residents around here," he told the press, noting that he hoped to make Benin City "an arts hub."

Mowaa, a non-profit local organization, envisions itself establishing over 30,000 employment opportunities and providing above $80m annually to the area arts sector through collaborations and events.

Investment and Administrative Problems

It has taken $25m to get here – capital collected from multiple donors, such as the French and German governments, the British Museum and the local administration.

But now the state authorities has withdrawn support from beneath it – canceling the use of the property on which the museum was built.

An government communicator explained this was because in the original paperwork it had referred to itself as Edo Museum of West African Art – and it had since eliminated "the state identifier" from its name.

Unrest and Official Response

This announcement was preceded by rallies on the weekend, when activists stormed the facility demanding it be called the Royal Benin Museum.

A boisterous assembly insulted international visitors at the facility prior to the opening – requiring them to be escorted out under police escort.

Head of state Bola Tinubu has also stepped in to work to address the tensions, establishing a high-level committee to do some damage control.

Political Complexities

But why has this become so divisive – and such a reputation problem?

Much of it results from internecine rivalries at a area administrative level, as it was the former state leader Godwin Obaseki – whose term in office ended last year – who was a primary advocate of the project.

And it looks like the administration of the new governor, a close ally of the area king, called the royal figure, may desire increased control in the venture. The protesters on the weekend, for instance, were insisting that the institution be positioned under the authority of the current Oba.

The Cultural Artifacts Debate

This emphasizes the contentious issue of the cultural artifacts, one of the continent's most celebrated artistic heritage.

Because even if the facility does eventually open, these bronzes will be conspicuously absent.

They are metal, ivory and wooden artworks that once embellished the monarch's home of the historical empire before colonial troops stole them in 1897 during a colonial invasion.

Currently, thousands continue to be scattered across institutions in Europe and North America -- featuring the British Museum, German museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Restitution Efforts

Their return has become one of the most disputed conversations in the global art world. Approximately 150 have currently come back – and additional are expected to return.

When ideas for the institution in the city were initially revealed in the pre-pandemic era, the movers and shakers on the national arts community hoped it would become their ideal location – a modern complex to show them off to the global audience.

But the situation became complicated two years ago after the national authorities declared that the royal leader would be the rightful owner of returned objects – and the monarch's court pushed for a museum under the royal family's direct control, against the wishes of the ex-leader.

Strategic Positioning

This left Mowaa in a challenging circumstance: maintaining a clear stance on restitution while staying tactful on custodianship – and emphasising its wider mission, which led to|c