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Nigeria's remarkable new West African Art Museum (Mowaa) has landed in the center of local power politics during the week it was scheduled to – but failed – to begin operations to the visitors for the initial occasion.

The Ambitious Project

The 15-acre campus sits in the heart of Benin City, capital of the southern state of Edo – and includes an archaeological dig and structures designed by celebrated British-Ghanaian architect Sir David Adjaye, most famous for the Washington African American Museum that began operations in Washington in 2016.

It has been 60 months in the development – and is planned to celebrate both the history and the modern times of artistic expression in the area known for the cultural artifacts, cultural objects taken from the royal palace by UK forces in the nineteenth century.

Setup and Prospects

It is remarkable – and prior to the scheduled opening, Mowaa was buzzing with workers committed to prove it is a institution that can rival established art institutions in the West.

Internally art restorers precisely opened cultural items from protective packaging, inspecting each piece and taking meticulous records before arranging them on display surfaces and stands.

Technicians adjusted climate control systems. In the materials science laboratory, officers calibrated instruments designed to maintain centuries-old artefacts.

Financial Backing and Economic Vision

The project has been the idea of investor Phillip Ihenacho – presently Mowaa's managing director.

"I want us to have a major economic impact on area populations in the vicinity," he explained to media outlets, noting that he hoped to make the city "an arts hub."

Mowaa, a not-for-profit national foundation, sees itself generating in excess of 30,000 work positions and providing over $80m per year to the area arts sector through alliances and programming.

Investment and Administrative Problems

It has taken $25m to get here – money collected from different supporters, featuring the European governments, the British Museum and the local administration.

But currently the state authorities has pulled the rug from beneath it – revoking the use of the land on which the facility was constructed.

An Edo state spokesperson stated this was because in the original paperwork it had called itself the Edo-named institution – and it had since eliminated "the state identifier" from its title.

Demonstrations and Government Action

This announcement was preceded by demonstrations on Sunday, when activists entered the facility insisting it be named the Royal Benin Museum.

A rowdy assembly harassed international visitors at the museum ahead of the launch – requiring them to be hurried away under security protection.

National leader Bola Tinubu has also stepped in to try and resolve the dispute, setting up a presidential committee to address the controversy.

Governance Issues

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

Much of it comes down to local power struggles at a area administrative level, as it was the former state leader Godwin Obaseki – whose term in office ended the previous year – who was a key supporter of the museum.

And it appears the leadership of the new governor, a close ally of the local traditional ruler, known as the traditional leader, may desire greater involvement in the project. The activists on Sunday, for example, were calling for that the museum be placed under the supervision of Oba Ewuare II.

The Cultural Artifacts Debate

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

Because though the museum does finally welcome visitors, these artifacts will be clearly not present.

They are metal, ivory and timber artworks that once embellished the king's residence of the Benin Kingdom before British soldiers stole them in the late nineteenth century during a military operation.

Currently, many continue to be scattered across museums in Europe and North America -- including the UK institution, European center and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Repatriation Campaigns

Their repatriation has become one of the most debated conversations in the worldwide cultural sector. Approximately 150 have presently made their way home – and more are due to follow.

When plans for the museum in the city were initially revealed in 2019, the influential figures on the national arts community anticipated it would become their natural home – a modern campus to exhibit them to the global audience.

But the situation became complicated some time back after the central administration announced that the royal leader would be the legal custodian of repatriated artifacts – and the palace pushed for a institution under the monarch's supervision, opposing the wishes of the former governor.

Political Navigation

This left Mowaa in a delicate position: expressing a definite position on restitution while staying tactful on custodianship – and highlighting its wider mission, which led to|c