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Nigeria's impressive new Museum of West African Art (Mowaa) has found itself in the center of regional political struggles during the week it was scheduled to – but failed – to welcome visitors to the general public for the initial occasion.

The Ambitious Project

The large-scale complex sits in the heart of Benin City, administrative center of the southern area of Edo – and includes an historical dig and facilities designed by celebrated British-Ghanaian architect Sir David Adjaye, best known for the Smithsonian African American Museum that opened in the US capital in 2016.

It has been half a decade in the making – and is planned to celebrate both the heritage and the modern times of artistic expression in the region famous for the Benin Bronzes, historical pieces stolen from the royal palace by British troops in the 1800s.

Setup and Prospects

It is notable – and before the planned opening, Mowaa was buzzing with employees determined to prove it is a place that can match established cultural centers in the Western world.

Within art restorers precisely opened artworks from protective packaging, examining each artifact and taking meticulous records before positioning them on exhibition areas and plinths.

Experts calibrated temperature regulation systems. In the research lab, staff members set up instruments meant to conserve historical artefacts.

Investment and Economic Plans

The venture has been the brainchild of entrepreneur Phillip Ihenacho – presently Mowaa's chief executive.

"I aim us to have a substantial economic impact on local residents around here," he explained to journalists, mentioning that he aspired to make this urban center "an arts hub."

Mowaa, a not-for-profit Nigerian institution, aims at creating more than 30,000 work positions and contributing over $80m each year to the area arts sector through alliances and activities.

Funding Sources and Political Challenges

It has taken $25m to achieve this stage – funds gathered from different donors, such as the European governments, the London institution and the local administration.

But now the state authorities has pulled the rug from beneath it – canceling the use of the land on which the building was erected.

An government communicator explained this was because in the early agreements it had called itself the Edo-named institution – and it had subsequently eliminated "Edo" from its name.

Protests and Political Intervention

This statement came after protests on the weekend, when activists stormed the complex insisting it be named the Royal Benin Museum.

A disruptive crowd insulted overseas dignitaries at the venue ahead of the opening – requiring them to be hurried away under police escort.

Head of state Bola Tinubu has even become involved to try and resolve the dispute, establishing a high-level committee to do some damage control.

Political Complexities

But why has this become so divisive – and such a PR disaster?

A great deal of it comes down to internecine rivalries at a local state level, as it was Edo's previous governor Godwin Obaseki – whose administration ended last year – who was a primary advocate of the museum.

And it looks like the leadership of the current leader, a key associate of the local traditional ruler, known as the Oba, may want greater involvement in the venture. The activists on the weekend, for case, were insisting that the museum be placed under the authority of the current Oba.

The Benin Bronzes Controversy

This brings into focus the controversial matter of the historical artworks, one of the continent's most renowned cultural treasures.

Because although the museum does finally begin operations, these objects will be clearly not present.

They are metal, elephant tusk and wooden sculptures that once adorned the monarch's home of the historical empire before colonial troops looted them in 1897 during a military operation.

Currently, numerous remain spread across museums in the West -- featuring the British Museum, German museum and the New York institution.

Repatriation Campaigns

Their repatriation has become one of the most disputed debates in the global art world. Roughly 150 have presently made their way home – and additional are scheduled to be repatriated.

When ideas for the institution in Benin City were initially revealed in the pre-pandemic era, the movers and shakers on the country's cultural sector anticipated it would become their natural home – a modern facility to show them off to the international community.

But the situation became complicated two years ago after the central administration stated that the traditional ruler would be the legal custodian of any returned bronzes – and the monarch's court campaigned for a facility under the monarch's supervision, opposing the preferences of the ex-leader.

Diplomatic Challenges

This left Mowaa in a difficult situation: asserting a definite position on restitution while remaining diplomatic on guardianship – and emphasising its larger purpose, which led to|c