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The nation's stunning new Museum of West African Art (Mowaa) has found itself in the crosshairs of local power politics during the time it was expected to – but failed – to open its doors to the public for the first time.

The Ambitious Project

The six-hectare facility sits in the heart of the Edo state capital, capital of the southern region of Edo – and includes an excavation site and facilities created by high-profile British-Ghanaian architect Sir David Adjaye, best known for the National Museum of African American History and Culture that opened in the US capital in 2016.

It has been 60 months in the creation – and is planned to showcase both the heritage and the present of cultural innovation in the locale renowned for the historic artworks, artworks looted from the king's palace by British troops in the 1800s.

Setup and Prospects

It is remarkable – and prior to the anticipated opening, Mowaa was buzzing with staff resolved to show it is a institution that can rival established art institutions in the Western world.

Internally art restorers precisely unwrapped art pieces from safety materials, inspecting each artifact and taking thorough records before positioning them on display surfaces and plinths.

Technicians fine-tuned temperature regulation systems. In the scientific facility, personnel adjusted instruments designed to preserve centuries-old objects.

Investment and Economic Plans

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

"I aim us to have a major economic benefit on communities in this region," he told the press, noting that he aspired to make the city "an arts hub."

Mowaa, a not-for-profit Nigerian institution, envisions itself creating more than 30,000 direct and indirect jobs and adding more than $80m annually to the area arts sector through collaborations and programming.

Financial Support and Government Issues

It has taken $25m to get here – capital gathered from different supporters, including the French and German governments, the British Museum and the regional authorities.

But at present the local government has pulled the rug from under it – revoking the use of the site on which the museum was built.

An official representative clarified this was because in the original paperwork it had referred to itself as the Edo-named institution – and it had later removed "the regional name" from its title.

Protests and Political Intervention

This statement followed protests on Sunday, when people stormed the campus demanding it be called the Museum of the Benin Kingdom.

A disruptive assembly insulted overseas dignitaries at the museum ahead of the launch – requiring them to be escorted out under official guard.

National leader Bola Tinubu has even become involved to attempt to settle the dispute, creating a presidential committee to address the controversy.

Governance Issues

But how has this become so politicised – and such a PR disaster?

Much of it results from internecine rivalries at a regional government level, as it was the ex-administrator Godwin Obaseki – whose governance finished the previous year – who was a major backer of the project.

And it looks like the government of the recently elected official, a key associate of the regional monarch, called the royal figure, may seek greater involvement in the project. The demonstrators on the weekend, for example, were calling for that the facility be positioned under the supervision of the current Oba.

The Benin Bronzes Controversy

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

Because even if the institution does eventually begin operations, these objects will be clearly not present.

They are metal, elephant tusk and wooden sculptures that once decorated the king's residence of the Benin Kingdom before UK forces looted them in the colonial era during a punitive expedition.

Today, thousands continue to be distributed across museums in Western nations -- including the UK institution, German museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Return Initiatives

Their return has become one of the most contested conversations in the international art community. Roughly 150 have now come back – and more are due to follow.

When plans for the institution in the urban center were initially revealed in 2019, the key players on the national arts community anticipated it would become their perfect venue – a state-of-the-art complex to display them to the global audience.

But the issues became confused two years ago after the federal government stated that the royal leader would be the legal custodian of returned objects – and the royal household pushed for a facility under the king's authority, against the preferences of the former governor.

Diplomatic Challenges

This left Mowaa in a difficult situation: expressing a clear stance on return while staying tactful on ownership – and emphasising its wider mission, which led to|c