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Nigeria's impressive new Museum of West African Art (Mowaa) has found itself in the middle of regional political struggles during the period it was expected to – but failed – to open its doors to the general public for the first time.

The Ambitious Project

The 15-acre facility sits in the heart of Benin City, capital of the southern region of Edo – and contains an excavation site and facilities created by high-profile British-Ghanaian architect Sir David Adjaye, most famous for the Washington African American Museum that opened in Washington in 2016.

It has been five years in the making – and is planned to honor both the heritage and the present of artistic expression in the region famous for the cultural artifacts, historical pieces stolen from the king's palace by UK forces in the 1800s.

Readiness and Potential

It is remarkable – and ahead of the scheduled opening, Mowaa was active with employees resolved to demonstrate it is a venue that can match established art institutions in the Europe and America.

Within art restorers carefully revealed cultural items from safety materials, checking each piece and taking meticulous records before placing them on exhibition areas and plinths.

Technicians adjusted temperature regulation systems. In the scientific facility, officers adjusted equipment intended to preserve ancient items.

Financial Backing and Economic Vision

The venture has been the brainchild of businessman Phillip Ihenacho – now Mowaa's executive director.

"I hope us to have a significant economic impact on area populations in this region," he stated to media outlets, noting that he hoped to make the city "a tourism center."

Mowaa, a non-profit local organization, aims at establishing in excess of 30,000 employment opportunities and providing over $80m annually to the regional creative economy through alliances and programming.

Funding Sources and Political Challenges

It has taken $25m to get here – funds collected from various contributors, such as the international partners, the UK museum and the regional authorities.

But at present the local government has withdrawn support from under it – revoking the utilization of the land on which the facility was constructed.

An official representative clarified this was because in the original paperwork it had identified as EMOWAA – and it had since dropped "Edo" from its title.

Demonstrations and Government Action

This declaration followed rallies on Sunday, when protesters stormed the complex demanding it be called the Benin Royal Museum.

A boisterous crowd insulted overseas dignitaries at the museum prior to the opening – requiring them to be hurried away under official guard.

Head of state Bola Tinubu has even become involved to attempt to settle the tensions, setting up a presidential committee to manage the situation.

Governance Issues

But why has this evolved into so controversial – and such a PR disaster?

The majority of it results from internecine rivalries at a regional government level, as it was the former state leader Godwin Obaseki – whose term in office finished the previous year – who was a key supporter of the initiative.

And it appears the administration of the recently elected official, a strong supporter of the local traditional ruler, called the Oba, may seek greater involvement in the venture. The protesters on that day, for instance, were demanding that the institution be placed under the control of the current Oba.

The Historical Objects Discussion

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

Because although the facility does ultimately begin operations, these objects will be conspicuously absent.

They are brass, elephant tusk and timber sculptures that once adorned the royal palace of the historical empire before British soldiers took them in 1897 during a colonial invasion.

Nowadays, many stay distributed across museums in the West -- including the UK institution, German museum and the New York institution.

Return Initiatives

Their repatriation has become one of the most disputed debates in the worldwide cultural sector. Approximately 150 have currently made their way home – and additional are due to follow.

When plans for the facility in the city were originally proposed in recent years, the movers and shakers on the national arts community expected it would become their ideal location – a state-of-the-art complex to exhibit them to the international community.

But the situation became complicated recently after the federal government declared that the traditional ruler would be the legal custodian of returned objects – and the royal household pushed for a institution under the monarch's supervision, against the wishes of the ex-leader.

Strategic Positioning

This placed Mowaa in a difficult situation: expressing a definite position on repatriation while being careful on ownership – and highlighting its larger purpose, which led to|c