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Nigeria's remarkable new Museum of West African Art (Mowaa) has found itself in the crosshairs of regional political struggles during the time it was scheduled to – but failed – to welcome visitors to the public for the very first time.

The Ambitious Project

The large-scale complex is located in the center of Benin City, main city of the southern state of Edo – and includes an archaeological dig and structures created by renowned Ghanaian-British architect Sir David Adjaye, particularly noted for the Smithsonian African American Museum that opened in Washington in 2016.

It has been half a decade in the making – and is designed to showcase both the history and the present of cultural innovation in the area renowned for the historic artworks, artworks looted from the city's royal palace by British soldiers in the 1800s.

Readiness and Potential

It is notable – and ahead of the planned opening, Mowaa was energetic with staff determined to show it is a venue that can rival established museums and galleries in the Europe and America.

Within preservation experts meticulously unwrapped cultural items from secure wrapping, inspecting each piece and taking meticulous notes before positioning them on exhibition areas and bases.

Technicians fine-tuned temperature regulation systems. In the research lab, personnel set up equipment intended to maintain historical artefacts.

Investment and Economic Plans

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

"I hope us to have a significant economic benefit on local residents in the vicinity," he stated to media outlets, mentioning that he hoped to make Benin City "an arts hub."

Mowaa, a non-profit national foundation, envisions itself generating more than 30,000 direct and indirect jobs and providing over $80m annually to the regional creative economy through collaborations and events.

Funding Sources and Political Challenges

It has needed $25m to get here – capital raised from different contributors, including the international partners, the London institution and the Edo state government.

But currently the state authorities has revoked permission from under it – canceling the use of the property on which the facility was constructed.

An government communicator explained this was because in the original paperwork it had called itself Edo Museum of West African Art – and it had since removed "Edo" from its title.

Protests and Political Intervention

This statement followed protests on Sunday, when people entered the campus demanding it be called the Royal Benin Museum.

A boisterous crowd insulted international visitors at the venue ahead of the inauguration – requiring them to be escorted out under security protection.

Head of state Bola Tinubu has even intervened to try and resolve the conflict, creating a presidential committee to address the controversy.

Governance Issues

But in what way has this evolved into so politicised – and such a PR disaster?

A great deal of it results from internal conflicts at a local state level, as it was Edo's previous governor Godwin Obaseki – whose administration ended last year – who was a key supporter of the project.

And it looks like the leadership of the new governor, a key associate of the local traditional ruler, known as the Oba, may desire increased control in the venture. The activists on Sunday, for instance, were insisting that the institution be placed under the supervision of Oba Ewuare II.

The Historical Objects Discussion

This brings into focus the contentious issue of the cultural artifacts, one of the region's most famous historical legacy.

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

They are brass, ivory and wooden sculptures that once decorated the royal palace of the historical empire before British soldiers stole them in the late nineteenth century during a military operation.

Nowadays, thousands continue to be scattered across institutions in the West -- such as the British Museum, European center and the New York institution.

Restitution Efforts

Their return has become one of the most debated debates in the international art community. About 150 have currently come back – and additional are scheduled to be repatriated.

When plans for the facility in Benin City were first announced in 2019, the movers and shakers on Nigeria's art scene anticipated it would become their ideal location – a advanced complex to display them to the world.

But the issues became confused recently after the federal government declared that the traditional ruler would be the proper guardian of repatriated artifacts – and the royal household campaigned for a facility under the royal family's direct control, opposing the preferences of the ex-leader.

Strategic Positioning

This placed Mowaa in a difficult situation: asserting a specific viewpoint on return while staying tactful on guardianship – and stressing its wider mission, which led to|c