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The nation's impressive new Museum of West African Art (Mowaa) has ended up in the middle of local power politics during the week it was supposed to – but did not manage – to begin operations to the general public for the initial occasion.

The Grand Vision

The 15-acre campus is located in the center of Benin's urban center, capital of the southern state of Edo – and includes an historical dig and buildings created by high-profile dual heritage architect Sir David Adjaye, most famous for the National Museum of African American History and Culture that was inaugurated in the US capital in 2016.

It has been five years in the making – and is designed to celebrate both the past and the modern times of cultural innovation in the locale known for the historic artworks, historical pieces taken from the king's palace by British soldiers in the 1800s.

Preparation and Promise

It is remarkable – and before the scheduled opening, Mowaa was energetic with workers determined to show it is a place that can compete with well-known cultural centers in the Europe and America.

Inside art restorers carefully opened cultural items from safety materials, inspecting each artifact and taking detailed records before arranging them on display surfaces and plinths.

Experts adjusted environmental controls. In the research lab, personnel set up instruments intended to maintain historical items.

Investment and Economic Plans

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

"I hope us to have a major economic benefit on local residents in this region," he explained to journalists, mentioning that he hoped to make Benin City "an arts hub."

Mowaa, a not-for-profit local organization, sees itself creating more than 30,000 direct and indirect jobs and adding over $80m annually to the local cultural industry through alliances and activities.

Investment and Administrative Problems

It has taken $25m to achieve this stage – funds gathered from various contributors, featuring the international partners, the UK museum and the local administration.

But at present the regional administration has withdrawn support from under it – revoking the occupancy of the site on which the facility was constructed.

An Edo state spokesperson clarified this was because in the early agreements it had referred to itself as the Edo-named institution – and it had since removed "the regional name" from its name.

Unrest and Official Response

This declaration followed rallies on the weekend, when activists entered the complex insisting it be named the Royal Benin Museum.

A rowdy crowd confronted foreign guests at the facility before the inauguration – requiring them to be escorted out under official guard.

National leader Bola Tinubu has even intervened to work to address the tensions, establishing a high-level committee to do some damage control.

Governance Issues

But how has this become so divisive – and such a public relations crisis?

Much of it stems from internal conflicts at a local state level, as it was the former state leader Godwin Obaseki – whose administration concluded recently – who was a major backer of the project.

And it seems the government of the recently elected official, a strong supporter of the local traditional ruler, called the royal figure, may want greater involvement in the initiative. The demonstrators on Sunday, for example, were insisting that the facility be put under the authority of the royal leader.

The Cultural Artifacts Debate

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

Because even if the institution does ultimately open, these objects will be noticeably missing.

They are brass, elephant tusk and wooden carvings that once embellished the king's residence of the ancient kingdom before colonial troops looted them in the late nineteenth century during a punitive expedition.

Currently, many remain distributed across galleries in the West -- such as the London museum, Berlin's Humboldt Forum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Return Initiatives

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

When ideas for the museum in the urban center were originally proposed in recent years, the influential figures on Nigeria's art scene anticipated it would become their ideal location – a advanced campus to exhibit them to the world.

But the issues became confused two years ago after the national authorities announced that the Oba would be the rightful owner of returned objects – and the royal household campaigned for a institution under the royal family's direct control, contrary to the preferences of Obaseki.

Strategic Positioning

This left Mowaa in a challenging circumstance: expressing a definite position on restitution while staying tactful on custodianship – and emphasising its larger purpose, which led to|c