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Nigeria's stunning new West African Art Museum (Mowaa) has ended up in the center of local power politics during the week it was expected to – but failed – to open its doors to the public for the very first time.

The Major Initiative

The 15-acre facility is located in the center of Benin's urban center, capital of the southern area of Edo – and includes an archaeological dig and structures planned by high-profile Ghanaian-British architect Sir David Adjaye, best known for the Washington African American Museum that opened in the US capital in 2016.

It has been half a decade in the making – and is designed to celebrate both the heritage and the modern times of cultural innovation in the area known for the cultural artifacts, historical pieces looted from the king's palace by British troops in the 19th Century.

Preparation and Promise

It is remarkable – and before the scheduled opening, Mowaa was active with workers committed to show it is a place that can match well-known museums and galleries in the Western world.

Inside preservation experts meticulously revealed cultural items from secure wrapping, examining each item and taking detailed notes before arranging them on walls and stands.

Specialists calibrated temperature regulation systems. In the materials science laboratory, personnel set up instruments designed to preserve historical items.

Funding and Economic Goals

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

"I want us to have a significant financial effect on communities in this region," he explained to the press, adding that he aspired to make this urban center "an arts hub."

Mowaa, a not-for-profit local organization, envisions itself establishing in excess of 30,000 employment opportunities and contributing over $80m per year to the local cultural industry through collaborations and activities.

Investment and Administrative Problems

It has needed $25m to reach this point – money raised from various donors, featuring the European governments, the UK museum and the local administration.

But currently the local government has pulled the rug from under it – revoking the occupancy of the land on which the building was erected.

An government communicator stated this was because in the early agreements it had called itself Edo Museum of West African Art – and it had later dropped "the state identifier" from its designation.

Demonstrations and Government Action

This statement came after protests on recently, when protesters entered the complex calling for it be called the Royal Benin Museum.

A boisterous group harassed international visitors at the facility before the inauguration – forcing them to be quickly removed under police escort.

President Bola Tinubu has also become involved to work to address the tensions, setting up a high-level committee to manage the situation.

Governance Issues

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

The majority of it comes down to local power struggles at a area administrative level, as it was Edo's previous governor Godwin Obaseki – whose term in office concluded recently – who was a major backer of the initiative.

And it looks like the leadership of the current leader, a key associate of the area king, known as the traditional leader, may want increased control in the project. The activists on Sunday, for case, were calling for that the facility be placed under the control of the current Oba.

The Benin Bronzes Controversy

This brings into focus the disputed topic of the cultural artifacts, one of the continent's most renowned artistic heritage.

Because though the facility does eventually open, these bronzes will be conspicuously absent.

They are metal, ivory and wooden sculptures that once adorned the king's residence of the ancient kingdom before colonial troops looted them in the colonial era during a punitive expedition.

Nowadays, thousands continue to be distributed across galleries in the West -- including the British Museum, Berlin's Humboldt Forum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Repatriation Campaigns

Their return has become one of the most debated conversations in the worldwide cultural sector. Roughly 150 have presently been returned – and more are due to follow.

When ideas for the museum in the city were initially revealed in the pre-pandemic era, the key players on Nigeria's art scene expected it would become their natural home – a modern complex to display them to the world.

But the waters were muddied some time back after the central administration stated that the Oba would be the legal custodian of any returned bronzes – and the royal household pushed for a institution under the king's authority, against the desires of Obaseki.

Diplomatic Challenges

This left Mowaa in a delicate position: asserting a definite position on restitution while being careful on guardianship – and highlighting its wider mission, which led to|c