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Nigeria's impressive new West African Art Museum (Mowaa) has ended up in the middle of local power politics during the week it was supposed to – but failed – to welcome visitors to the public for the very first time.

The Ambitious Project

The 15-acre complex is located in the center of Benin City, capital of the southern region of Edo – and features an excavation site and structures created by renowned dual heritage architect Sir David Adjaye, best known for the National Museum of African American History and Culture that opened in the US capital in 2016.

It has been 60 months in the making – and is designed to honor both the history and the present of cultural innovation in the locale famous for the historic artworks, cultural objects looted from the city's royal palace by British troops in the nineteenth century.

Readiness and Potential

It is impressive – and prior to the anticipated opening, Mowaa was buzzing with employees determined to show it is a place that can compete with well-known museums and galleries in the West.

Internally preservation experts carefully revealed artworks from secure wrapping, inspecting each item and taking thorough documentation before positioning them on exhibition areas and bases.

Experts calibrated environmental controls. In the research lab, personnel calibrated equipment meant to maintain ancient artefacts.

Financial Backing and Economic Vision

The venture has been the concept of investor Phillip Ihenacho – presently Mowaa's chief executive.

"I aim us to have a substantial economic impact on communities around here," he explained to the press, adding that he hoped to make this urban center "a tourism center."

Mowaa, a non-profit Nigerian institution, aims at establishing in excess of 30,000 employment opportunities and adding over $80m each year to the area arts sector through collaborations and events.

Investment and Administrative Problems

It has taken $25m to get here – capital gathered from different contributors, featuring the international partners, the London institution and the Edo state government.

But now the regional administration has revoked permission from beneath it – terminating the occupancy of the property on which the building was erected.

An Edo state spokesperson stated this was because in the initial documents it had called itself the Edo-named institution – and it had since eliminated "the state identifier" from its name.

Demonstrations and Government Action

This announcement followed protests on the weekend, when activists entered the facility calling for it be named the Museum of the Benin Kingdom.

A boisterous crowd insulted international visitors at the facility before the launch – requiring them to be escorted out under official guard.

Head of state Bola Tinubu has additionally intervened to try and resolve the dispute, establishing a presidential committee to address the controversy.

Political Complexities

But how has this evolved into so divisive – and such a reputation problem?

A great deal of it comes down to local power struggles at a local state level, as it was the former state leader Godwin Obaseki – whose term in office concluded last year – who was a key supporter of the museum.

And it looks like the government of the current leader, a close ally of the local traditional ruler, known as the Oba, may want more of a stake in the project. The demonstrators on the weekend, for example, were demanding that the institution be placed under the supervision of the royal leader.

The Benin Bronzes Controversy

This emphasizes the contentious issue of the cultural artifacts, one of Africa's most renowned artistic heritage.

Because although the museum does finally welcome visitors, these bronzes will be noticeably missing.

They are brass, ivory and wooden carvings that once adorned the royal palace of the ancient kingdom before colonial troops looted them in the colonial era during a colonial invasion.

Nowadays, many continue to be spread across museums in the West -- including the London museum, German museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Return Initiatives

Their homecoming has become one of the most contested debates in the global art world. Approximately 150 have currently come back – and more are due to follow.

When proposals for the facility in Benin City were initially revealed in recent years, the movers and shakers on the national arts community anticipated it would become their ideal location – a modern campus to display them to the international community.

But the situation became complicated two years ago after the national authorities stated that the royal leader would be the rightful owner of any returned bronzes – and the palace campaigned for a facility under the royal family's direct control, against the desires of the ex-leader.

Political Navigation

This placed Mowaa in a delicate position: expressing a definite position on repatriation while being careful on guardianship – and stressing its larger purpose, which led to|c