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Nigeria's impressive new Museum of West African Art (Mowaa) has found itself in the crosshairs of local power politics during the time it was scheduled to – but failed – to open its doors to the general public for the initial occasion.

The Grand Vision

The large-scale facility is located in the core of Benin's urban center, administrative center of the southern area of Edo – and features an excavation site and structures designed by high-profile British-Ghanaian architect Sir David Adjaye, best known for the Washington African American Museum that was inaugurated in Washington DC in 2016.

It has been half a decade in the making – and is designed to honor both the heritage and the present of artistic expression in the region renowned for the cultural artifacts, artworks stolen from the city's royal palace by UK forces in the nineteenth century.

Setup and Prospects

It is notable – and prior to the planned opening, Mowaa was buzzing with workers determined to prove it is a venue that can compete with renowned art institutions in the Europe and America.

Inside preservation experts meticulously revealed art pieces from protective packaging, checking each piece and taking detailed documentation before arranging them on display surfaces and plinths.

Experts adjusted environmental controls. In the materials science laboratory, personnel adjusted instruments designed to maintain ancient items.

Investment and Economic Plans

The project has been the concept of businessman Phillip Ihenacho – now Mowaa's executive director.

"I want us to have a major economic impact on communities around here," he explained to the press, adding that he aspired to make this urban center "a cultural destination."

Mowaa, a non-profit local organization, sees itself establishing in excess of 30,000 direct and indirect jobs and contributing more than $80m annually to the regional creative economy through partnerships and activities.

Funding Sources and Political Challenges

It has required $25m to get here – money gathered from different contributors, including the French and German governments, the British Museum and the local administration.

But currently the local government has pulled the rug from beneath it – revoking the occupancy of the site on which the facility was constructed.

An government communicator explained this was because in the early agreements it had identified as the Edo-named institution – and it had later removed "the regional name" from its designation.

Unrest and Official Response

This declaration was preceded by demonstrations on the weekend, when protesters entered the campus demanding it be named the Royal Benin Museum.

A boisterous assembly insulted international visitors at the facility prior to the launch – forcing them to be quickly removed under police escort.

Head of state Bola Tinubu has even stepped in to work to address the dispute, establishing a high-level committee to do some damage control.

Political Complexities

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

The majority of it stems from internal conflicts at a regional government level, as it was Edo's previous governor Godwin Obaseki – whose governance finished recently – who was a major backer of the initiative.

And it looks like the government of the recently elected official, a key associate of the local traditional ruler, called the traditional leader, may seek more of a stake in the project. The activists on Sunday, for example, were demanding that the institution be positioned under the control of the current Oba.

The Benin Bronzes Controversy

This brings into focus the contentious issue of the historical artworks, one of the continent's most famous historical legacy.

Because even if the facility does finally open, these objects will be noticeably missing.

They are metal, ivory and wooden sculptures that once embellished the royal palace of the Benin Kingdom before British soldiers looted them in the colonial era during a military operation.

Currently, many stay scattered across museums in the West -- featuring the British Museum, German museum and the American museum.

Return Initiatives

Their homecoming has become one of the most disputed debates in the international art community. Approximately 150 have currently been returned – and additional are due to follow.

When plans for the museum in Benin City were initially revealed in recent years, the movers and shakers on the national arts community expected it would become their ideal location – a advanced campus to show them off to the global audience.

But the waters were muddied some time back after the federal government declared that the royal leader would be the legal custodian of returned objects – and the royal household advocated for a museum under the monarch's supervision, against the preferences of the ex-leader.

Strategic Positioning

This placed Mowaa in a difficult situation: maintaining a specific viewpoint on restitution while being careful on custodianship – and stressing its larger purpose, which led to|c