BENIN CITY, Nigeria — The long-awaited opening of Nigeria’s new Museum of West African Art (Mowaa) has been overshadowed by protests and political disputes, raising questions about the future of the $25 million project.
The six-hectare campus in Benin City, designed by British-Ghanaian architect Sir David Adjaye, was intended to showcase both historical and contemporary creativity in the region famed for the Benin Bronzes. But on Sunday, protesters stormed the site, demanding it be renamed the Benin Royal Museum and placed under the authority of Oba Ewuare II, the traditional ruler of Benin.
Political Dispute
The Edo state government revoked the museum’s land rights, citing changes in its name from the original Edo Museum of West African Art. The move reflects tensions between the current administration and former governor Godwin Obaseki, who had championed the project. Analysts say the dispute highlights rivalries between state officials and the royal palace over control of cultural institutions.
President Bola Tinubu has set up a high-level committee to resolve the crisis, which has already been described as a public relations setback for Nigeria’s cultural sector.
The Benin Bronzes Debate
The controversy also revives the contentious issue of the Benin Bronzes, thousands of artefacts looted by British forces in 1897 and now held in museums across Europe and North America. While about 150 have been returned, the federal government previously declared that the Oba would be the rightful custodian of any restituted pieces — leaving Mowaa without legal claim to house them.
Mowaa’s executive director Phillip Ihenacho said the institution’s broader mission is to support contemporary African creativity across art, film, music, and fashion. “We are not the owners of the bronzes,” he noted, stressing that the museum aims to build an ecosystem for West African artists rather than serve solely as a repository for restitution.
Cultural Vision
Despite the political turmoil, Mowaa has already become a hub for regional collaboration, hosting conservators, researchers, and young artists. Its inaugural exhibition, Homecoming, features works by internationally acclaimed artists including Yinka Shonibare, whose installation of clay replicas of the bronzes reflects on absence, memory, and trauma.
Uncertain Future
Nigeria’s culture minister Hannatu Musawa said cultural institutions must balance traditional custodianship with modern structures. But concerns remain that the dispute could undermine efforts to reclaim Africa’s stolen art, with Western museums citing conservation worries.
For now, staff at Mowaa remain determined to prove the museum can redefine what a modern African institution looks like — with or without the Benin Bronzes.