The nation's remarkable new West African Art Museum (Mowaa) has landed in the middle of local power politics during the week it was supposed to – but was unable – to open its doors to the public for the initial occasion.
The Major Initiative
The six-hectare campus is located in the heart of Benin's urban center, main city of the southern region of Edo – and includes an historical dig and facilities planned by renowned Ghanaian-British architect Sir David Adjaye, best known for the National Museum of African American History and Culture that opened in Washington in 2016.
It has been half a decade in the development – and is designed to celebrate both the history and the modern times of artistic expression in the region famous for the historic artworks, artworks looted from the royal palace by British troops in the 19th Century.
Preparation and Promise
It is notable – and prior to the scheduled opening, Mowaa was buzzing with staff committed to demonstrate it is a venue that can rival established art institutions in the West.
Inside art restorers precisely opened artworks from protective packaging, checking each item and taking detailed notes before arranging them on exhibition areas and plinths.
Technicians fine-tuned temperature regulation systems. In the scientific facility, staff members calibrated equipment intended to preserve historical objects.
Investment and Economic Plans
The initiative has been the brainchild of investor Phillip Ihenacho – now Mowaa's managing director.
"I want us to have a substantial economic impact on communities in this region," he explained to media outlets, adding that he hoped to make this urban center "a tourism center."
Mowaa, a non-profit national foundation, sees itself establishing over 30,000 direct and indirect jobs and contributing more than $80m annually to the area arts sector through alliances and programming.
Funding Sources and Political Challenges
It has needed $25m to get here – money raised from different supporters, such as the European governments, the London institution and the regional authorities.
But now the local government has pulled the rug from below it – terminating the occupancy of the site on which the building was erected.
An Edo state spokesperson explained this was because in the early agreements it had called itself the Edo-named institution – and it had subsequently eliminated "the state identifier" from its title.
Demonstrations and Government Action
This announcement came after protests on Sunday, when activists entered the facility demanding it be named the Royal Benin Museum.
A rowdy group confronted international visitors at the venue prior to the inauguration – forcing them to be hurried away under police escort.
Head of state Bola Tinubu has also stepped in to work to address the tensions, setting up a special task force to do some damage control.
Administrative Challenges
But why has this evolved into so politicised – and such a public relations crisis?
Much of it results from local power struggles at a regional government level, as it was Edo's previous governor Godwin Obaseki – whose governance ended the previous year – who was a key supporter of the project.
And it appears the administration of the new governor, a close ally of the regional monarch, called the royal figure, may want increased control in the initiative. The activists on the weekend, for case, were insisting that the facility be put under the control of Oba Ewuare II.
The Cultural Artifacts Debate
This highlights the disputed topic of the cultural artifacts, one of the region's most celebrated historical legacy.
Because though the facility does eventually open, these objects will be noticeably missing.
They are metal, elephant tusk and wooden artworks that once adorned the king's residence of the ancient kingdom before British soldiers took them in 1897 during a military operation.
Today, numerous remain distributed across museums in Europe and North America -- such as the London museum, Berlin's Humboldt Forum and the New York institution.
Restitution Efforts
Their repatriation has become one of the most contested debates in the worldwide cultural sector. Approximately 150 have now come back – and additional are expected to return.
When ideas for the museum in the urban center were initially revealed in recent years, the movers and shakers on the country's cultural sector anticipated it would become their ideal location – a modern complex to show them off to the international community.
But the waters were muddied recently after the national authorities stated that the traditional ruler would be the rightful owner of any returned bronzes – and the palace pushed for a museum under the royal family's direct control, contrary to the wishes of the former governor.
Strategic Positioning
This placed Mowaa in a delicate position: maintaining a definite position on restitution while staying tactful on custodianship – and stressing its wider mission, which led to|c
