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The nation's impressive new West African Art Museum (Mowaa) has landed in the middle of area political conflicts during the week it was scheduled to – but failed – to welcome visitors to the general public for the first time.

The Major Initiative

The six-hectare complex is located in the core of Benin City, main city of the southern region of Edo – and contains an excavation site and facilities created by celebrated dual heritage architect Sir David Adjaye, particularly noted for the National Museum of African American History and Culture that began operations in the US capital in 2016.

It has been 60 months in the making – and is designed to showcase both the heritage and the current era of creativity in the region famous for the Benin Bronzes, historical pieces looted from the king's palace by British soldiers in the nineteenth century.

Preparation and Promise

It is impressive – and before the planned opening, Mowaa was buzzing with workers determined to demonstrate it is a institution that can compete with renowned museums and galleries in the Western world.

Inside conservators precisely revealed art pieces from protective packaging, examining each item and taking detailed documentation before positioning them on walls and bases.

Specialists fine-tuned temperature regulation systems. In the materials science laboratory, personnel set up devices intended to preserve historical artefacts.

Funding and Economic Goals

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

"I want us to have a significant economic impact on area populations in the vicinity," he explained to the press, noting that he hoped to make Benin City "an arts hub."

Mowaa, a charitable national foundation, sees itself establishing more than 30,000 direct and indirect jobs and providing more than $80m each year to the local cultural industry through partnerships and activities.

Financial Support and Government Issues

It has required $25m to achieve this stage – funds gathered from different donors, such as the European governments, the British Museum and the local administration.

But at present the local government has withdrawn support from under it – revoking the use of the land on which the building was erected.

An government communicator stated this was because in the initial documents it had identified as Edo Museum of West African Art – and it had later removed "the state identifier" from its designation.

Unrest and Official Response

This declaration was preceded by rallies on the weekend, when activists stormed the campus demanding it be designated the Benin Royal Museum.

A boisterous assembly confronted overseas dignitaries at the museum before the inauguration – forcing them to be escorted out under official guard.

President Bola Tinubu has even stepped in to try and resolve the tensions, creating a presidential committee to manage the situation.

Administrative Challenges

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

The majority of it comes down to internal conflicts at a local state level, as it was the former state leader Godwin Obaseki – whose governance ended recently – who was a major backer of the project.

And it seems the government of the recently elected official, a key associate of the regional monarch, called the royal figure, may want greater involvement in the initiative. The protesters on the weekend, for instance, were demanding that the institution be placed under the control of the royal leader.

The Cultural Artifacts Debate

This highlights the disputed topic of the historical artworks, one of Africa's most renowned artistic heritage.

Because though the institution does finally open, these objects will be noticeably missing.

They are metal, ivory and wooden sculptures that once adorned the monarch's home of the Benin Kingdom before colonial troops looted them in the colonial era during a military operation.

Today, many stay scattered across galleries in Europe and North America -- including the British Museum, Berlin's Humboldt Forum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Repatriation Campaigns

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

When plans for the institution in Benin City were first announced in recent years, the movers and shakers on the national arts community anticipated it would become their perfect venue – a modern complex to show them off to the world.

But the issues became confused recently after the national authorities announced that the Oba would be the proper guardian of any returned bronzes – and the royal household advocated for a facility under the monarch's supervision, opposing the preferences of Obaseki.

Diplomatic Challenges

This placed Mowaa in a difficult situation: expressing a specific viewpoint on return while remaining diplomatic on custodianship – and stressing its wider mission, which led to|c