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The nation's remarkable new Museum of West African Art (Mowaa) has ended up in the middle of local power politics during the week it was expected to – but did not manage – to welcome visitors to the public for the very first time.

The Ambitious Project

The large-scale facility stands in the core of Benin City, main city of the southern area of Edo – and contains an excavation site and structures designed by celebrated dual heritage architect Sir David Adjaye, best known for the National Museum of African American History and Culture that opened in Washington DC in 2016.

It has been 60 months in the making – and is designed to celebrate both the history and the present of cultural innovation in the region known for the cultural artifacts, historical pieces looted from the royal palace by British soldiers in the nineteenth century.

Setup and Prospects

It is notable – and prior to the scheduled opening, Mowaa was active with employees determined to show it is a institution that can rival established art institutions in the West.

Inside conservators precisely unwrapped art pieces from protective packaging, checking each piece and taking meticulous notes before placing them on exhibition areas and plinths.

Specialists fine-tuned temperature regulation systems. In the research lab, personnel adjusted instruments designed to conserve centuries-old items.

Funding and Economic Goals

The project has been the brainchild of businessman Phillip Ihenacho – currently Mowaa's chief executive.

"I hope us to have a major economic benefit on area populations in this region," he told media outlets, adding that he hoped to make Benin City "an arts hub."

Mowaa, a not-for-profit Nigerian institution, envisions itself establishing in excess of 30,000 employment opportunities and adding more than $80m annually to the local cultural industry through collaborations and activities.

Funding Sources and Political Challenges

It has taken $25m to achieve this stage – money collected from different supporters, featuring the European governments, the London institution and the Edo state government.

But currently the state authorities has revoked permission from below it – revoking the utilization of the property on which the building was erected.

An official representative clarified this was because in the early agreements it had referred to itself as the Edo-named institution – and it had later dropped "the state identifier" from its name.

Demonstrations and Government Action

This announcement came after rallies on recently, when people stormed the complex calling for it be called the Museum of the Benin Kingdom.

A disruptive assembly harassed international visitors at the facility before the launch – requiring them to be hurried away under police escort.

President Bola Tinubu has even intervened to try and resolve the conflict, setting up a special task force to do some damage control.

Political Complexities

But why has this turned into so divisive – 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 governance finished last year – who was a major backer of the initiative.

And it appears the leadership of the recently elected official, a key associate of the regional monarch, known as the royal figure, may desire greater involvement in the project. The activists on the weekend, for example, were insisting that the institution be positioned under the supervision of Oba Ewuare II.

The Cultural Artifacts Debate

This brings into focus the disputed topic of the historical artworks, one of the continent's most renowned artistic heritage.

Because although the facility does finally begin operations, these bronzes will be clearly not present.

They are metal, elephant tusk and timber artworks that once adorned the king's residence of the historical empire before UK forces looted them in the late nineteenth century during a colonial invasion.

Today, thousands remain scattered across galleries in the West -- including the UK institution, German museum and the American museum.

Repatriation Campaigns

Their repatriation has become one of the most debated debates in the worldwide cultural sector. Approximately 150 have currently been returned – and further are expected to return.

When ideas for the facility in Benin City were first announced in recent years, the influential figures on Nigeria's art scene expected it would become their natural home – a state-of-the-art campus to exhibit them to the global audience.

But the situation became complicated some time back after the central administration declared that the royal leader would be the legal custodian of repatriated artifacts – and the royal household advocated for a facility under the king's authority, opposing the wishes of the former governor.

Diplomatic Challenges

This placed Mowaa in a delicate position: expressing a specific viewpoint on repatriation while staying tactful on custodianship – and highlighting its larger purpose, which led to|c