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Nigeria's remarkable new West African Art Museum (Mowaa) has ended up in the center of regional political struggles during the period it was scheduled to – but was unable – to welcome visitors to the general public for the first time.

The Ambitious Project

The large-scale campus stands in the core of Benin's urban center, capital of the southern region of Edo – and contains an historical dig and buildings created by high-profile Ghanaian-British architect Sir David Adjaye, best known for the Smithsonian African American Museum that opened in Washington in 2016.

It has been 60 months in the development – and is planned to honor both the history and the modern times of artistic expression in the area renowned for the historic artworks, historical pieces looted from the city's royal palace by British troops in the 19th Century.

Readiness and Potential

It is notable – and before the anticipated opening, Mowaa was energetic with employees committed to demonstrate it is a place that can compete with renowned cultural centers in the West.

Internally conservators precisely revealed artworks from protective packaging, checking each piece and taking meticulous documentation before arranging them on display surfaces and plinths.

Experts calibrated temperature regulation systems. In the scientific facility, officers calibrated equipment meant to conserve ancient items.

Investment and Economic Plans

The initiative has been the concept of entrepreneur Phillip Ihenacho – presently Mowaa's executive director.

"I want us to have a substantial economic benefit on communities around here," he explained to journalists, noting that he hoped to make this urban center "a cultural destination."

Mowaa, a charitable national foundation, sees itself generating more than 30,000 work positions and contributing more than $80m each year to the area arts sector through alliances and programming.

Investment and Administrative Problems

It has taken $25m to achieve this stage – money gathered from various donors, including the international partners, the UK museum and the local administration.

But at present the state authorities has revoked permission from under it – canceling the utilization of the property on which the museum was built.

An government communicator clarified this was because in the early agreements it had identified as the Edo-named institution – and it had subsequently removed "the regional name" from its name.

Unrest and Official Response

This declaration was preceded by protests on the weekend, when protesters stormed the complex calling for it be designated the Royal Benin Museum.

A boisterous assembly confronted foreign guests at the venue prior to the launch – requiring them to be hurried away under security protection.

National leader Bola Tinubu has even become involved to try and resolve the conflict, establishing a high-level committee to address the controversy.

Governance Issues

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

A great deal of it comes down to local power struggles at a local state level, as it was the ex-administrator Godwin Obaseki – whose governance ended last year – who was a major backer of the project.

And it seems the administration of the new governor, a close ally of the regional monarch, referred to as the royal figure, may desire greater involvement in the venture. The demonstrators on the weekend, for instance, were calling for that the institution be placed under the supervision of the royal leader.

The Benin Bronzes Controversy

This brings into focus the disputed topic of the historical artworks, one of the region's most renowned cultural treasures.

Because even if the institution does ultimately welcome visitors, these bronzes will be clearly not present.

They are metal, ivory and wooden artworks that once adorned the monarch's home of the Benin Kingdom before UK forces stole them in 1897 during a military operation.

Nowadays, many continue to be scattered across galleries in Europe and North America -- featuring the British Museum, Berlin's Humboldt Forum and the New York institution.

Restitution Efforts

Their homecoming has become one of the most debated debates in the global art world. About 150 have currently been returned – and further are due to follow.

When plans for the museum in the urban center were first announced in 2019, the key players on the country's cultural sector expected it would become their ideal location – a modern complex to display them to the world.

But the issues became confused some time back after the national authorities 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 king's authority, against the desires of the former governor.

Political Navigation

This left Mowaa in a challenging circumstance: expressing a specific viewpoint on restitution while remaining diplomatic on guardianship – and emphasising its wider mission, which led to|c