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The nation's remarkable new Museum of West African Art (Mowaa) has found itself in the center of regional political struggles during the period it was scheduled to – but did not manage – to open its doors to the public for the first time.

The Ambitious Project

The six-hectare campus stands in the core of the Edo state capital, administrative center of the southern state of Edo – and includes an archaeological dig and buildings designed by high-profile British-Ghanaian architect Sir David Adjaye, most famous for the Smithsonian African American Museum that began operations in the US capital in 2016.

It has been five years in the making – and is planned to honor both the history and the current era of artistic expression in the locale known for the cultural artifacts, cultural objects stolen from the king's palace by British troops in the nineteenth century.

Preparation and Promise

It is impressive – and prior to the scheduled opening, Mowaa was buzzing with staff resolved to show it is a venue that can rival renowned museums and galleries in the Western world.

Within conservators precisely opened cultural items from protective packaging, inspecting each piece and taking detailed documentation before placing them on walls and bases.

Experts adjusted environmental controls. In the materials science laboratory, officers adjusted equipment intended to maintain historical objects.

Financial Backing and Economic Vision

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

"I want us to have a significant economic benefit on local residents in the vicinity," he told media outlets, adding that he hoped to make this urban center "a tourism center."

Mowaa, a not-for-profit national foundation, aims at generating over 30,000 employment opportunities and adding above $80m each year to the regional creative economy through partnerships and events.

Investment and Administrative Problems

It has needed $25m to achieve this stage – funds raised from different supporters, featuring the international partners, the London institution and the Edo state government.

But now the state authorities has withdrawn support from under it – canceling the occupancy of the property on which the facility was constructed.

An government communicator clarified this was because in the original paperwork it had called itself the Edo-named institution – and it had later removed "the regional name" from its title.

Unrest and Official Response

This statement was preceded by rallies on recently, when activists invaded the facility calling for it be designated the Museum of the Benin Kingdom.

A boisterous crowd confronted overseas dignitaries at the venue before the launch – compelling them to be escorted out under security protection.

Head of state Bola Tinubu has also become involved to try and resolve the dispute, establishing a presidential committee to do some damage control.

Governance Issues

But how has this evolved into so politicised – and such a public relations crisis?

Much of it stems from internecine rivalries at a area administrative level, as it was the former state leader Godwin Obaseki – whose term in office concluded the previous year – who was a primary advocate of the initiative.

And it appears the government of the new governor, a close ally of the local traditional ruler, referred to as the traditional leader, may want greater involvement in the project. The activists on Sunday, for case, were demanding that the museum be put under the supervision of the royal leader.

The Historical Objects Discussion

This brings into focus the disputed topic of the cultural artifacts, one of Africa's most famous artistic heritage.

Because although the facility does eventually open, these objects will be conspicuously absent.

They are brass, elephant tusk and timber carvings that once decorated the royal palace of the ancient kingdom before British soldiers took them in the colonial era during a punitive expedition.

Today, thousands continue to be scattered across institutions in the West -- including the UK institution, Berlin's Humboldt Forum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Repatriation Campaigns

Their repatriation has become one of the most contested discussions in the global art world. About 150 have currently come back – and more are expected to return.

When plans for the facility in Benin City were initially revealed in recent years, the influential figures on the country's cultural sector anticipated it would become their natural home – a advanced complex to exhibit them to the world.

But the situation became complicated some time back after the federal government stated that the Oba would be the rightful owner of any returned bronzes – and the palace pushed for a institution under the royal family's direct control, against the wishes of the ex-leader.

Political Navigation

This left Mowaa in a challenging circumstance: maintaining a specific viewpoint on restitution while staying tactful on custodianship – and stressing its wider mission, which led to|c