The nation's stunning new Art Museum of West Africa (Mowaa) has ended up in the center of local power politics during the period it was supposed to – but did not manage – to welcome visitors to the general public for the first time.
The Ambitious Project
The six-hectare complex stands in the center of Benin City, administrative center of the southern region of Edo – and contains an historical dig and facilities created by high-profile British-Ghanaian architect Sir David Adjaye, most famous for the National Museum of African American History and Culture that was inaugurated in Washington DC in 2016.
It has been half a decade in the making – and is planned to celebrate both the past and the modern times of cultural innovation in the locale famous for the Benin Bronzes, artworks stolen from the city's royal palace by British soldiers in the 19th Century.
Setup and Prospects
It is impressive – and prior to the scheduled opening, Mowaa was energetic with staff resolved to show it is a place that can match renowned museums and galleries in the Western world.
Inside preservation experts precisely revealed artworks from safety materials, checking each piece and taking meticulous notes before arranging them on display surfaces and stands.
Experts adjusted temperature regulation systems. In the research lab, officers adjusted equipment intended to preserve historical objects.
Funding and Economic Goals
The initiative has been the concept of businessman Phillip Ihenacho – presently Mowaa's chief executive.
"I want us to have a substantial economic benefit on communities around here," he stated to media outlets, noting that he wanted to make the city "an arts hub."
Mowaa, a non-profit national foundation, sees itself establishing more than 30,000 direct and indirect jobs and providing over $80m per year to the local cultural industry through alliances and programming.
Funding Sources and Political Challenges
It has needed $25m to reach this point – capital raised from multiple donors, featuring the European governments, the UK museum and the local administration.
But now the local government has withdrawn support from under it – canceling the occupancy of the site on which the facility was constructed.
An government communicator clarified this was because in the early agreements it had referred to itself as EMOWAA – and it had subsequently dropped "Edo" from its designation.
Protests and Political Intervention
This statement was preceded by rallies on the weekend, when protesters invaded the campus calling for it be called the Museum of the Benin Kingdom.
A disruptive 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 additionally intervened to work to address the dispute, establishing a presidential committee to manage the situation.
Political Complexities
But how has this evolved into so controversial – and such a PR disaster?
The majority of it results from local power struggles at a regional government level, as it was the former state leader Godwin Obaseki – whose term in office ended recently – who was a primary advocate of the initiative.
And it appears the leadership of the new governor, a strong supporter of the local traditional ruler, known as the traditional leader, may want greater involvement in the project. The activists on the weekend, for instance, were calling for that the facility be placed under the control of Oba Ewuare II.
The Benin Bronzes Controversy
This emphasizes the contentious issue of the Benin Bronzes, one of the region's most celebrated cultural treasures.
Because although the institution does eventually begin operations, these bronzes will be conspicuously absent.
They are metal, elephant tusk and timber carvings that once adorned the monarch's home of the historical empire before British soldiers took them in the late nineteenth century during a punitive expedition.
Nowadays, thousands remain distributed across galleries in Europe and North America -- including the UK institution, European center and the New York institution.
Repatriation Campaigns
Their repatriation has become one of the most disputed debates in the international art community. About 150 have presently made their way home – and further are expected to return.
When ideas for the institution in the urban center were initially revealed in recent years, the key players on Nigeria's art scene hoped it would become their ideal location – a state-of-the-art facility to display them to the international community.
But the waters were muddied some time back after the national authorities stated that the royal leader would be the proper guardian of returned objects – and the palace pushed for a facility under the royal family's direct control, opposing the preferences of the former governor.
Diplomatic Challenges
This left Mowaa in a difficult situation: expressing a clear stance on restitution while remaining diplomatic on ownership – and highlighting its wider mission, which led to|c
