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The nation's impressive new Museum of West African Art (Mowaa) has ended up in the middle of area political conflicts during the week it was scheduled to – but failed – to begin operations to the public for the very first time.

The Ambitious Project

The six-hectare complex is located in the core of Benin City, main city of the southern state of Edo – and features an historical dig and structures designed by high-profile British-Ghanaian architect Sir David Adjaye, particularly noted for the Smithsonian African American Museum that began operations in the US capital in 2016.

It has been half a decade in the making – and is designed to celebrate both the past and the current era of artistic expression in the area famous for the Benin Bronzes, cultural objects looted from the city's royal 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 determined to demonstrate it is a institution that can match renowned cultural centers in the Western world.

Inside art restorers meticulously unwrapped art pieces from safety materials, inspecting each piece and taking detailed notes before arranging them on walls and stands.

Specialists fine-tuned environmental controls. In the materials science laboratory, officers adjusted equipment intended to conserve centuries-old objects.

Funding and Economic Goals

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

"I want us to have a major economic benefit on area populations in this region," he told journalists, mentioning that he wanted to make the city "an arts hub."

Mowaa, a not-for-profit Nigerian institution, envisions itself generating over 30,000 employment opportunities and providing over $80m per year to the local cultural industry through alliances and activities.

Financial Support and Government Issues

It has required $25m to achieve this stage – funds collected from various supporters, such as the European governments, the London institution and the local administration.

But now the state authorities has pulled the rug from under it – revoking the use of the property on which the facility was constructed.

An government communicator explained this was because in the early agreements it had referred to itself as Edo Museum of West African Art – and it had since eliminated "the state identifier" from its name.

Unrest and Official Response

This statement came after protests on recently, when protesters entered the facility insisting it be named the Museum of the Benin Kingdom.

A boisterous crowd confronted international visitors at the venue prior to the inauguration – forcing them to be quickly removed under official guard.

National leader Bola Tinubu has even become involved to try and resolve the dispute, setting up a high-level committee to do some damage control.

Administrative Challenges

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

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 administration finished last year – who was a primary advocate of the initiative.

And it appears the leadership of the new governor, a key associate of the regional monarch, called the royal figure, may want more of a stake in the venture. The protesters on Sunday, for instance, were insisting that the institution be positioned under the control of Oba Ewuare II.

The Historical Objects Discussion

This brings into focus the disputed topic of the Benin Bronzes, one of the continent's most renowned cultural treasures.

Because though the museum does ultimately welcome visitors, these bronzes will be conspicuously absent.

They are metal, elephant tusk and timber carvings that once adorned the king's residence of the historical empire before British soldiers looted them in the late nineteenth century during a colonial invasion.

Nowadays, many stay scattered across institutions in Europe and North America -- featuring the UK institution, European center and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Repatriation Campaigns

Their return has become one of the most disputed conversations in the worldwide cultural sector. About 150 have currently made their way home – and further are expected to return.

When proposals for the institution in the city were first announced in the pre-pandemic era, the key players on the national arts community anticipated it would become their ideal location – a state-of-the-art complex to show them off to the world.

But the waters were muddied recently after the national authorities announced that the traditional ruler would be the rightful owner of any returned bronzes – and the royal household pushed for a facility under the monarch's supervision, against the preferences of Obaseki.

Diplomatic Challenges

This placed Mowaa in a difficult situation: asserting a specific viewpoint on repatriation while staying tactful on custodianship – and emphasising its wider mission, which led to|c