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Nigeria's stunning new Museum of West African Art (Mowaa) has landed in the middle of area political conflicts during the period it was expected to – but failed – to begin operations to the general public for the very first time.

The Ambitious Project

The six-hectare facility stands in the core of the Edo state capital, main city of the southern area of Edo – and includes an historical dig and facilities created by celebrated Ghanaian-British architect Sir David Adjaye, most famous for the Smithsonian African American Museum that opened in Washington in 2016.

It has been half a decade in the making – and is envisioned to showcase both the past and the present of creativity in the region famous for the historic artworks, artworks looted from the royal palace by UK forces in the nineteenth century.

Preparation and Promise

It is impressive – and ahead of the anticipated opening, Mowaa was energetic with workers resolved to show it is a institution that can compete with renowned cultural centers in the Europe and America.

Inside art restorers meticulously revealed cultural items from secure wrapping, checking each artifact and taking thorough records before positioning them on walls and stands.

Technicians calibrated temperature regulation systems. In the research lab, staff members adjusted devices meant to preserve ancient objects.

Funding and Economic Goals

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

"I aim us to have a significant economic benefit on communities in the vicinity," he told journalists, noting that he hoped to make Benin City "an arts hub."

Mowaa, a charitable local organization, envisions itself establishing more than 30,000 employment opportunities and adding more than $80m annually to the regional creative economy through collaborations and events.

Funding Sources and Political Challenges

It has taken $25m to reach this point – funds gathered from multiple supporters, featuring the French and German governments, the British Museum and the Edo state government.

But at present the local government has pulled the rug from beneath it – revoking the use of the property on which the facility was constructed.

An official representative explained this was because in the early agreements it had identified as the Edo-named institution – and it had later removed "Edo" from its designation.

Protests and Political Intervention

This statement came after demonstrations on recently, when protesters entered the campus calling for it be named the Museum of the Benin Kingdom.

A boisterous assembly harassed overseas dignitaries at the museum ahead of the inauguration – compelling them to be hurried away under security protection.

National leader Bola Tinubu has also intervened to attempt to settle the tensions, establishing a high-level committee to address the controversy.

Governance Issues

But how has this evolved into so politicised – and such a public relations crisis?

Much of it stems from local power struggles at a local state level, as it was Edo's previous governor Godwin Obaseki – whose governance concluded last year – who was a key supporter of the project.

And it seems the leadership of the new governor, a close ally of the local traditional ruler, called the royal figure, may want greater involvement in the project. The demonstrators on that day, for example, were insisting that the facility be put under the control of Oba Ewuare II.

The Benin Bronzes Controversy

This brings into focus the disputed topic of the Benin Bronzes, one of the continent's most famous cultural treasures.

Because although the facility does eventually open, these bronzes will be clearly not present.

They are brass, elephant tusk and timber sculptures that once embellished the king's residence of the historical empire before UK forces looted them in 1897 during a colonial invasion.

Currently, numerous stay distributed across galleries in Europe and North America -- featuring the British Museum, European center and the New York institution.

Restitution Efforts

Their homecoming has become one of the most contested discussions in the global art world. Approximately 150 have presently been returned – and further are due to follow.

When plans for the museum in the urban center were originally proposed in the pre-pandemic era, the influential figures on the country's cultural sector expected it would become their ideal location – a modern campus to display them to the international community.

But the situation became complicated some time back after the central administration announced that the royal leader would be the rightful owner of repatriated artifacts – and the monarch's court advocated for a facility under the king's authority, against the wishes of the former governor.

Strategic Positioning

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