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Nigeria's impressive new West African Art Museum (Mowaa) has landed in the center of area political conflicts during the period it was expected to – but was unable – to welcome visitors to the general public for the first time.

The Major Initiative

The large-scale campus stands in the core of the Edo state capital, administrative center of the southern area of Edo – and includes an archaeological dig and structures designed by renowned Ghanaian-British architect Sir David Adjaye, particularly noted for the Smithsonian African American Museum that began operations in the US capital in 2016.

It has been five years in the development – and is envisioned to showcase both the past and the current era of creativity in the region known for the historic artworks, cultural objects taken from the king's palace by British soldiers in the nineteenth century.

Preparation and Promise

It is remarkable – and before the planned opening, Mowaa was energetic with workers resolved to demonstrate it is a venue that can match well-known art institutions in the West.

Within preservation experts precisely unwrapped artworks from protective packaging, checking each item and taking detailed records before arranging them on display surfaces and stands.

Experts fine-tuned climate control systems. In the scientific facility, officers adjusted devices designed to maintain historical artefacts.

Investment and Economic Plans

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

"I hope us to have a major economic impact on local residents in the vicinity," he told journalists, adding that he aspired to make the city "a cultural destination."

Mowaa, a non-profit Nigerian institution, aims at generating over 30,000 employment opportunities and adding more than $80m each year to the regional creative economy through collaborations and activities.

Investment and Administrative Problems

It has required $25m to reach this point – capital gathered from multiple supporters, featuring the European governments, the London institution and the local administration.

But currently the local government has pulled the rug from below it – revoking the occupancy of the land on which the facility was constructed.

An government communicator explained this was because in the original paperwork it had referred to itself as Edo Museum of West African Art – and it had later eliminated "Edo" from its designation.

Unrest and Official Response

This announcement was preceded by rallies on Sunday, when activists entered the complex calling for it be called the Museum of the Benin Kingdom.

A rowdy group insulted foreign guests at the facility prior to the opening – requiring them to be quickly removed under official guard.

Head of state Bola Tinubu has additionally intervened to try and resolve the tensions, establishing a presidential committee to do some damage control.

Governance Issues

But why has this evolved into so politicised – and such a reputation problem?

Much of it comes down to internal conflicts at a regional government level, as it was Edo's previous governor Godwin Obaseki – whose administration concluded recently – who was a key supporter of the initiative.

And it looks like the administration of the recently elected official, a key associate of the regional monarch, known as the royal figure, may seek increased control in the venture. The activists on the weekend, for example, were demanding that the museum be put under the control of the current Oba.

The Cultural Artifacts Debate

This highlights the controversial matter of the cultural artifacts, one of the region's most renowned cultural treasures.

Because even if the facility does ultimately open, these artifacts will be conspicuously absent.

They are brass, ivory and timber artworks that once embellished the royal palace of the Benin Kingdom before UK forces stole them in 1897 during a punitive expedition.

Nowadays, thousands stay scattered across galleries in the West -- including the UK institution, European center and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Repatriation Campaigns

Their repatriation has become one of the most contested conversations in the worldwide cultural sector. Roughly 150 have presently been returned – and more are scheduled to be repatriated.

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

But the waters were muddied two years ago after the national authorities announced that the Oba would be the rightful owner of returned objects – and the monarch's court campaigned for a museum under the royal family's direct control, contrary to the desires of the ex-leader.

Political Navigation

This placed Mowaa in a difficult situation: maintaining a specific viewpoint on restitution while being careful on guardianship – and stressing its wider mission, which led to|c