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Nigeria's stunning new Museum of West African Art (Mowaa) has ended up in the crosshairs of local power politics during the week it was supposed to – but failed – to begin operations to the general public for the initial occasion.

The Ambitious Project

The six-hectare complex stands in the center of the Edo state capital, main city of the southern region of Edo – and contains an excavation site and structures created by high-profile Ghanaian-British architect Sir David Adjaye, most famous for the National Museum of African American History and Culture that opened in Washington DC in 2016.

It has been 60 months in the development – and is envisioned to showcase both the heritage and the current era of artistic expression in the region known for the cultural artifacts, cultural objects taken from the royal palace by British soldiers in the nineteenth century.

Readiness and Potential

It is remarkable – and before the planned opening, Mowaa was energetic with employees committed to prove it is a venue that can compete with established cultural centers in the West.

Within conservators carefully unwrapped artworks from secure wrapping, examining each item and taking detailed notes before placing them on walls and bases.

Experts calibrated environmental controls. In the research lab, staff members set up devices meant to preserve historical artefacts.

Investment and Economic Plans

The venture has been the brainchild of entrepreneur Phillip Ihenacho – now Mowaa's managing director.

"I aim us to have a substantial financial effect on communities in this region," he told media outlets, mentioning that he aspired to make the city "an arts hub."

Mowaa, a charitable local organization, sees itself generating in excess of 30,000 work positions and providing more than $80m annually to the local cultural industry through collaborations and events.

Investment and Administrative Problems

It has taken $25m to get here – capital raised from multiple supporters, featuring the international partners, the UK museum and the Edo state government.

But currently the local government has pulled the rug from beneath it – canceling the use of the property on which the building was erected.

An official representative stated this was because in the initial documents it had called itself EMOWAA – and it had later removed "the regional name" from its name.

Demonstrations and Government Action

This declaration followed protests on recently, when activists stormed the campus demanding it be designated the Royal Benin Museum.

A rowdy assembly confronted overseas dignitaries at the venue ahead of the opening – requiring them to be quickly removed under official guard.

Head of state Bola Tinubu has even stepped in to try and resolve the tensions, setting up a presidential committee to manage the situation.

Administrative Challenges

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

A great deal of it comes down to internecine rivalries at a local state level, as it was Edo's previous governor Godwin Obaseki – whose term in office ended last year – who was a primary advocate of the project.

And it seems the leadership of the new governor, a strong supporter of the area king, known as the traditional leader, may desire more of a stake in the venture. The demonstrators on that day, for example, were demanding that the museum be put under the control of the royal leader.

The Historical Objects Discussion

This highlights the contentious issue of the Benin Bronzes, one of the continent's most celebrated cultural treasures.

Because although the museum does eventually welcome visitors, these artifacts will be clearly not present.

They are brass, ivory and timber carvings that once decorated the monarch's home of the ancient kingdom before colonial troops took them in 1897 during a punitive expedition.

Today, thousands remain spread across museums in the West -- such as the London museum, Berlin's Humboldt Forum and the New York institution.

Return Initiatives

Their return has become one of the most disputed conversations in the international art community. About 150 have currently made their way home – and more are due to follow.

When plans for the institution in the city were first announced in the pre-pandemic era, the movers and shakers on Nigeria's art scene hoped it would become their natural home – a modern complex to show them off to the international community.

But the situation became complicated recently after the federal government declared that the royal leader would be the legal custodian of repatriated artifacts – and the palace campaigned for a museum under the king's authority, against the preferences of the former governor.

Political Navigation

This left Mowaa in a challenging circumstance: maintaining a definite position on restitution while remaining diplomatic on ownership – and stressing its larger purpose, which led to|c