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Nigeria's stunning new West African Art Museum (Mowaa) has ended up in the middle of area political conflicts during the time it was supposed to – but was unable – to begin operations to the visitors for the initial occasion.

The Ambitious Project

The six-hectare facility is located in the heart of Benin City, administrative center of the southern area of Edo – and features an excavation site and facilities designed by renowned Ghanaian-British architect Sir David Adjaye, most famous for the National Museum of African American History and Culture that began operations in Washington in 2016.

It has been five years in the making – and is planned to showcase both the history and the present of artistic expression in the area renowned for the historic artworks, cultural objects stolen from the king's palace by British troops in the 19th Century.

Readiness and Potential

It is remarkable – and ahead of the planned opening, Mowaa was buzzing with employees determined to show it is a venue that can compete with established cultural centers in the Western world.

Within conservators carefully unwrapped artworks from safety materials, inspecting each item and taking thorough notes before positioning them on walls and bases.

Technicians fine-tuned climate control systems. In the scientific facility, officers adjusted equipment meant to preserve ancient artefacts.

Investment and Economic Plans

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

"I hope us to have a significant financial effect on local residents in the vicinity," he told journalists, adding that he hoped to make this urban center "a tourism center."

Mowaa, a charitable Nigerian institution, aims at generating in excess of 30,000 employment opportunities and adding above $80m per year to the local cultural industry through collaborations and programming.

Financial Support and Government Issues

It has required $25m to get here – capital raised from different contributors, including the European governments, the British Museum and the regional authorities.

But currently the regional administration has withdrawn support from under it – revoking the occupancy of the property on which the facility was constructed.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 the Edo-named institution – and it had subsequently eliminated "Edo" from its designation.

Protests and Political Intervention

This declaration followed rallies on recently, when protesters stormed the complex insisting it be designated the Royal Benin Museum.

A disruptive group harassed overseas dignitaries at the facility before the launch – requiring them to be hurried away under security protection.

National leader Bola Tinubu has even intervened to try and resolve the tensions, establishing a presidential committee to manage the situation.

Political Complexities

But why has this become so controversial – and such a reputation problem?

A great deal of it results from internecine rivalries at a local state level, as it was the former state leader Godwin Obaseki – whose term in office finished last year – who was a primary advocate of the museum.

And it looks like the leadership of the new governor, a close ally of the local traditional ruler, called the Oba, may desire increased control in the project. The protesters on Sunday, for instance, were calling for that the facility be placed under the control of the current Oba.

The Historical Objects Discussion

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

Because though the facility does eventually begin operations, these bronzes will be noticeably missing.

They are brass, ivory and timber carvings that once adorned the royal palace of the ancient kingdom before UK forces looted them in 1897 during a military operation.

Currently, numerous remain distributed across galleries in Western nations -- including the UK institution, European center and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Restitution Efforts

Their repatriation has become one of the most disputed conversations in the international art community. Approximately 150 have currently come back – and further are expected to return.

When proposals for the institution in the urban center were first announced in the pre-pandemic era, the key players on the national arts community expected it would become their perfect venue – a modern campus to show them off to the international community.

But the waters were muddied some time back after the federal government announced that the traditional ruler would be the legal custodian of any returned bronzes – and the royal household advocated for a museum under the monarch's supervision, against the preferences of the ex-leader.

Strategic Positioning

This left Mowaa in a difficult situation: asserting a clear stance on return while remaining diplomatic on guardianship – and highlighting its larger purpose, which led to|c