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Nigeria's stunning new West African Art Museum (Mowaa) has found itself in the center of local power politics during the week it was expected to – but was unable – to welcome visitors to the public for the initial occasion.

The Grand Vision

The six-hectare facility sits in the heart of Benin's urban center, administrative center of the southern area of Edo – and features an archaeological dig and buildings created by celebrated Ghanaian-British architect Sir David Adjaye, most famous for the Washington 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 modern times of creativity in the locale famous for the cultural artifacts, artworks taken from the king's palace by British soldiers in the 19th Century.

Preparation and Promise

It is remarkable – and before the anticipated opening, Mowaa was buzzing with staff resolved to show it is a venue that can rival well-known cultural centers in the Europe and America.

Inside preservation experts precisely revealed artworks from protective packaging, examining each item and taking detailed records before positioning them on exhibition areas and stands.

Experts fine-tuned temperature regulation systems. In the scientific facility, officers set up instruments meant to maintain ancient artefacts.

Funding and Economic Goals

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

"I want us to have a significant economic benefit on communities in this region," he told journalists, adding that he wanted to make the city "a tourism center."

Mowaa, a charitable national foundation, aims at creating over 30,000 work positions and providing over $80m per year to the regional creative economy through collaborations and events.

Funding Sources and Political Challenges

It has required $25m to get here – money raised from various donors, including the international partners, the UK museum and the regional authorities.

But now the state authorities has withdrawn support from below it – canceling the use of the property on which the facility was constructed.

An official representative stated this was because in the early agreements it had referred to itself as Edo Museum of West African Art – and it had later removed "the regional name" from its name.

Demonstrations and Government Action

This declaration followed rallies on Sunday, when protesters entered the complex demanding it be designated the Museum of the Benin Kingdom.

A rowdy group confronted overseas dignitaries at the venue before the inauguration – requiring them to be escorted out under security protection.

President Bola Tinubu has even intervened to attempt to settle the conflict, creating a special task force to do some damage control.

Administrative Challenges

But why has this turned into so politicised – and such a public relations crisis?

A great deal of it comes down to internal conflicts at a area administrative level, as it was the ex-administrator Godwin Obaseki – whose governance concluded recently – who was a key supporter of the project.

And it seems the leadership of the recently elected official, a strong supporter of the regional monarch, known as the royal figure, may desire more of a stake in the venture. The protesters on Sunday, for instance, were insisting that the museum be placed under the control of the royal leader.

The Benin Bronzes Controversy

This highlights the contentious issue of the historical artworks, one of Africa's most celebrated cultural treasures.

Because even if the facility does finally welcome visitors, these artifacts will be noticeably missing.

They are brass, ivory and wooden artworks that once decorated the king's residence of the ancient kingdom before UK forces looted them in 1897 during a colonial invasion.

Currently, many remain distributed across institutions in the West -- featuring the UK institution, German museum and the New York institution.

Return Initiatives

Their homecoming has become one of the most disputed discussions in the worldwide cultural sector. About 150 have currently come back – and more are due to follow.

When ideas for the museum in the urban center were originally proposed in the pre-pandemic era, the movers and shakers on Nigeria's art scene anticipated it would become their natural home – a state-of-the-art campus to show them off to the world.

But the situation became complicated recently after the national authorities announced that the traditional ruler would be the legal custodian of returned objects – and the royal household pushed for a facility under the king's authority, contrary to the preferences of the former governor.

Political Navigation

This left Mowaa in a difficult situation: asserting a specific viewpoint on repatriation while being careful on ownership – and highlighting its larger purpose, which led to|c