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

The Major Initiative

The six-hectare campus sits in the core of the Edo state capital, administrative center of the southern region of Edo – and contains an archaeological dig and buildings designed by high-profile dual heritage architect Sir David Adjaye, best known for the Smithsonian African American Museum that opened in Washington DC in 2016.

It has been five years in the making – and is designed to celebrate both the past and the present of creativity in the region famous for the Benin Bronzes, artworks looted from the royal palace by British troops in the nineteenth century.

Setup and Prospects

It is remarkable – and prior to the planned opening, Mowaa was buzzing with employees resolved to demonstrate it is a venue that can rival renowned art institutions in the Western world.

Within conservators precisely revealed artworks from protective packaging, checking each item and taking detailed documentation before placing them on walls and stands.

Technicians calibrated temperature regulation systems. In the research lab, staff members set up devices designed to conserve ancient items.

Financial Backing and Economic Vision

The initiative has been the concept of entrepreneur Phillip Ihenacho – currently Mowaa's executive director.

"I want us to have a substantial economic impact on local residents in the vicinity," he told the press, adding that he wanted to make Benin City "a tourism center."

Mowaa, a not-for-profit national foundation, sees itself generating over 30,000 direct and indirect jobs and adding over $80m annually to the area arts sector through collaborations and programming.

Funding Sources and Political Challenges

It has required $25m to achieve this stage – funds raised from various contributors, such as the international partners, the UK museum and the local administration.

But now the state authorities has revoked permission from below it – terminating the use of the land on which the facility was constructed.

An official representative clarified this was because in the early agreements it had identified as the Edo-named institution – and it had since removed "the state identifier" from its name.

Unrest and Official Response

This declaration was preceded by demonstrations on Sunday, when protesters entered the facility demanding it be named the Museum of the Benin Kingdom.

A boisterous group insulted foreign guests at the venue prior to the launch – requiring them to be hurried away under police escort.

National leader Bola Tinubu has even become involved to work to address the dispute, creating a presidential committee to manage the situation.

Governance Issues

But how has this evolved into so divisive – and such a PR disaster?

Much of it comes down to internecine rivalries at a local state level, as it was the former state leader Godwin Obaseki – whose administration concluded last year – who was a primary advocate of the museum.

And it appears the administration of the recently elected official, a strong supporter of the regional monarch, referred to as the royal figure, may desire more of a stake in the project. The demonstrators on the weekend, for instance, were insisting that the facility be positioned under the control of the current Oba.

The Cultural Artifacts Debate

This brings into focus the contentious issue of the cultural artifacts, one of the continent's most famous artistic heritage.

Because even if the museum does eventually begin operations, these artifacts will be noticeably missing.

They are brass, elephant tusk and wooden carvings that once decorated the monarch's home of the historical empire before British soldiers looted them in the late nineteenth century during a colonial invasion.

Currently, thousands remain spread across institutions in the West -- such as the London museum, Berlin's Humboldt Forum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Restitution Efforts

Their repatriation has become one of the most debated discussions in the international art community. Roughly 150 have presently made their way home – and further are scheduled to be repatriated.

When ideas for the institution in Benin City were initially revealed in the pre-pandemic era, the movers and shakers on the national arts community hoped it would become their natural home – a state-of-the-art campus to show them off to the global audience.

But the issues became confused recently after the central administration announced that the traditional ruler would be the proper guardian of returned objects – and the monarch's court pushed for a institution under the royal family's direct control, contrary to the preferences of the former governor.

Strategic Positioning

This placed Mowaa in a delicate position: maintaining a definite position on restitution while staying tactful on guardianship – and highlighting its broader vision, which led to|c