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The nation's impressive new Museum of West African Art (Mowaa) has found itself in the crosshairs of local power politics during the week it was supposed to – but failed – to open its doors to the general public for the first time.

The Ambitious Project

The 15-acre facility stands in the heart of Benin's urban center, main city of the southern state of Edo – and features an archaeological dig and buildings designed by high-profile Ghanaian-British architect Sir David Adjaye, particularly noted for the National Museum of African American History and Culture that opened in the US capital in 2016.

It has been five years in the development – and is planned to honor both the past and the modern times of artistic expression in the area famous for the Benin Bronzes, cultural objects stolen from the city's royal palace by UK forces in the 19th Century.

Readiness and Potential

It is impressive – and ahead of the planned opening, Mowaa was active with employees resolved to demonstrate it is a place that can compete with established museums and galleries in the Europe and America.

Internally conservators carefully revealed art pieces from secure wrapping, checking each item and taking detailed documentation before placing them on exhibition areas and bases.

Specialists calibrated environmental controls. In the research lab, officers calibrated instruments meant to maintain centuries-old objects.

Funding and Economic Goals

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

"I want us to have a major economic impact on area populations in this region," he stated to media outlets, adding that he wanted to make Benin City "an arts hub."

Mowaa, a charitable Nigerian institution, aims at generating over 30,000 employment opportunities and adding more than $80m each year to the area arts sector through alliances and activities.

Funding Sources and Political Challenges

It has required $25m to get here – money raised from multiple donors, featuring the international partners, the British Museum and the Edo state government.

But currently the regional administration has pulled the rug from under it – revoking the use of the site on which the facility was constructed.

An government communicator explained this was because in the original paperwork it had referred to itself as the Edo-named institution – and it had subsequently eliminated "the regional name" from its designation.

Protests and Political Intervention

This declaration followed demonstrations on the weekend, when people stormed the campus demanding it be called the Museum of the Benin Kingdom.

A boisterous assembly confronted international visitors at the facility prior to the inauguration – requiring them to be hurried away under security protection.

President Bola Tinubu has also stepped in to attempt to settle the conflict, establishing a presidential committee to address the controversy.

Governance Issues

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

Much of it stems from internecine rivalries at a local state level, as it was Edo's previous governor Godwin Obaseki – whose governance finished the previous year – who was a major backer of the initiative.

And it appears the government of the new governor, a key associate of the regional monarch, called the Oba, may seek greater involvement in the initiative. The activists on Sunday, for instance, were insisting that the museum be put under the authority of the royal leader.

The Benin Bronzes Controversy

This brings into focus the disputed topic of the Benin Bronzes, one of the continent's most renowned cultural treasures.

Because although the museum does ultimately welcome visitors, these artifacts will be clearly not present.

They are metal, elephant tusk and timber sculptures that once embellished the royal palace of the Benin Kingdom before colonial troops took them in 1897 during a military operation.

Nowadays, thousands stay distributed across galleries in Europe and North America -- such as the British Museum, German museum and the New York institution.

Restitution Efforts

Their homecoming has become one of the most disputed conversations in the worldwide cultural sector. Roughly 150 have presently been returned – and further are expected to return.

When ideas for the museum in Benin City were originally proposed in recent years, the key players on Nigeria's art scene hoped it would become their ideal location – a state-of-the-art complex to show them off to the global audience.

But the situation became complicated some time back after the federal government announced that the Oba would be the proper guardian of repatriated artifacts – and the monarch's court advocated for a institution under the king's authority, against the desires of the ex-leader.

Strategic Positioning

This left Mowaa in a difficult situation: asserting a clear stance on repatriation while being careful on ownership – and highlighting its broader vision, which led to|c