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The nation's stunning new West African Art Museum (Mowaa) has landed in the middle of local power politics during the period it was expected to – but was unable – to welcome visitors to the public for the first time.

The Ambitious Project

The six-hectare complex sits in the core of the Edo state capital, administrative center of the southern state of Edo – and features an excavation site and structures planned by celebrated British-Ghanaian architect Sir David Adjaye, best known for the Smithsonian African American Museum that was inaugurated in Washington in 2016.

It has been five years in the creation – and is planned to celebrate both the past and the modern times of cultural innovation in the region famous for the Benin Bronzes, cultural objects looted from the royal palace by UK forces in the 1800s.

Setup and Prospects

It is remarkable – and prior to the anticipated opening, Mowaa was active with employees determined to demonstrate it is a place that can rival renowned art institutions in the West.

Internally art restorers meticulously unwrapped cultural items from secure wrapping, checking each item and taking detailed documentation before arranging them on display surfaces and plinths.

Experts adjusted climate control systems. In the scientific facility, personnel calibrated devices intended to conserve centuries-old items.

Financial Backing and Economic Vision

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

"I aim us to have a major financial effect on area populations in the vicinity," he told media outlets, noting that he wanted to make Benin City "a cultural destination."

Mowaa, a non-profit national foundation, aims at establishing over 30,000 employment opportunities and contributing over $80m each year to the regional creative economy through partnerships and events.

Financial Support and Government Issues

It has taken $25m to achieve this stage – funds raised from multiple contributors, such as the international partners, the British Museum and the Edo state government.

But now the regional administration has withdrawn support from under it – canceling the occupancy of the site on which the building was erected.

An official representative clarified this was because in the early agreements it had referred to itself as the Edo-named institution – and it had subsequently eliminated "the state identifier" from its title.

Demonstrations and Government Action

This declaration was preceded by rallies on recently, when protesters stormed the campus calling for it be named the Benin Royal Museum.

A boisterous crowd harassed overseas dignitaries at the facility ahead of the launch – compelling them to be hurried away under official guard.

Head of state Bola Tinubu has even stepped in to attempt to settle the dispute, establishing a high-level committee to do some damage control.

Administrative Challenges

But in what way has this become so politicised – and such a public relations crisis?

The majority of it stems from local power struggles at a area administrative level, as it was Edo's previous governor Godwin Obaseki – whose term in office concluded the previous year – who was a primary advocate of the museum.

And it appears the government of the current leader, a key associate of the local traditional ruler, referred to as the royal figure, may desire more of a stake in the initiative. The activists on Sunday, for case, were demanding that the institution be positioned under the authority of Oba Ewuare II.

The Cultural Artifacts Debate

This highlights the contentious issue of the cultural artifacts, one of Africa's most famous cultural treasures.

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

They are brass, elephant tusk and wooden sculptures that once decorated the king's residence of the Benin Kingdom before British soldiers stole them in the colonial era during a punitive expedition.

Currently, thousands stay scattered across museums in the West -- such as the British Museum, Berlin's Humboldt Forum and the New York institution.

Return Initiatives

Their return has become one of the most contested debates in the worldwide cultural sector. Approximately 150 have now made their way home – and additional are expected to return.

When plans for the facility in Benin City were initially revealed in the pre-pandemic era, the movers and shakers on the country's cultural sector expected it would become their perfect venue – a state-of-the-art complex to display them to the world.

But the situation became complicated two years ago after the national authorities stated that the royal leader would be the proper guardian of returned objects – and the palace pushed for a museum under the royal family's direct control, against the preferences of Obaseki.

Strategic Positioning

This left Mowaa in a challenging circumstance: expressing a definite position on repatriation while remaining diplomatic on custodianship – and stressing its wider mission, which led to|c