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The nation's stunning new West African Art Museum (Mowaa) has landed in the crosshairs of local power politics during the week it was supposed to – but failed – to open its doors to the visitors for the very first time.

The Ambitious Project

The 15-acre campus stands in the core of the Edo state capital, main city of the southern state of Edo – and features an archaeological dig and facilities created by celebrated Ghanaian-British architect Sir David Adjaye, best known for the National Museum of African American History and Culture that began operations in Washington DC in 2016.

It has been five years in the development – and is envisioned to showcase both the heritage and the present of creativity in the region known for the Benin Bronzes, historical pieces looted from the royal palace by British troops in the nineteenth century.

Setup and Prospects

It is impressive – and ahead of the anticipated opening, Mowaa was energetic with staff committed to demonstrate it is a venue that can rival renowned museums and galleries in the Europe and America.

Internally preservation experts precisely revealed cultural items from safety materials, checking each piece and taking detailed records before placing them on exhibition areas and plinths.

Technicians calibrated temperature regulation systems. In the research lab, staff members adjusted instruments intended to maintain ancient objects.

Financial Backing and Economic Vision

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

"I want us to have a significant economic benefit on communities in the vicinity," he stated to the press, mentioning that he hoped to make this urban center "a tourism center."

Mowaa, a non-profit national foundation, aims at generating in excess of 30,000 work positions and providing over $80m each year to the regional creative economy through alliances and events.

Financial Support and Government Issues

It has taken $25m to achieve this stage – funds raised from various contributors, such as the European governments, the British Museum and the regional authorities.

But now the state authorities has revoked permission from below it – revoking the use of the site on which the museum was built.

An Edo state spokesperson clarified this was because in the original paperwork it had called itself EMOWAA – and it had subsequently removed "the regional name" from its designation.

Unrest and Official Response

This announcement was preceded by protests on Sunday, when protesters stormed the campus calling for it be named the Royal Benin Museum.

A rowdy crowd confronted overseas dignitaries at the venue ahead of the inauguration – forcing them to be quickly removed under police escort.

Head of state Bola Tinubu has also stepped in to work to address the tensions, establishing a presidential committee to address the controversy.

Political Complexities

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

The majority of it comes down to internal conflicts at a regional government level, as it was the ex-administrator Godwin Obaseki – whose governance finished last year – who was a key supporter of the initiative.

And it looks like the leadership of the current leader, a strong supporter of the regional monarch, called the Oba, may want more of a stake in the project. The demonstrators on Sunday, for example, were insisting that the museum be positioned under the control of Oba Ewuare II.

The Cultural Artifacts Debate

This brings into focus the controversial matter of the Benin Bronzes, one of the region's most renowned historical legacy.

Because even if the museum does ultimately welcome visitors, these artifacts will be noticeably missing.

They are brass, elephant tusk and timber carvings that once adorned the royal palace of the Benin Kingdom before British soldiers took them in the late nineteenth century during a colonial invasion.

Currently, many remain scattered across institutions in the West -- featuring the British Museum, Berlin's Humboldt Forum and the New York institution.

Return Initiatives

Their homecoming has become one of the most contested debates in the worldwide cultural sector. Approximately 150 have currently been returned – and additional are scheduled to be repatriated.

When proposals for the museum in the city were first announced in the pre-pandemic era, the key players on the country's cultural sector hoped it would become their ideal location – a advanced campus to display them to the world.

But the situation became complicated recently after the national authorities announced that the traditional ruler would be the proper guardian of returned objects – and the monarch's court pushed for a museum under the royal family's direct control, contrary to the wishes of Obaseki.

Diplomatic Challenges

This placed Mowaa in a challenging circumstance: maintaining a clear stance on restitution while remaining diplomatic on ownership – and stressing its wider mission, which led to|c