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Nigeria's remarkable new Museum of West African Art (Mowaa) has found itself in the crosshairs of area political conflicts during the period it was scheduled to – but was unable – to welcome visitors to the visitors for the very first time.

The Grand Vision

The 15-acre campus sits in the core of Benin City, main city of the southern region of Edo – and includes an historical dig and facilities planned by renowned Ghanaian-British architect Sir David Adjaye, most famous for the Smithsonian African American Museum that opened in Washington DC in 2016.

It has been 60 months in the development – and is designed to honor both the heritage and the current era of cultural innovation in the locale renowned for the historic artworks, historical pieces stolen from the city's royal palace by British soldiers in the 19th Century.

Readiness and Potential

It is impressive – and prior to the anticipated opening, Mowaa was active with workers resolved to show it is a place that can rival established art institutions in the Western world.

Within preservation experts precisely unwrapped cultural items from secure wrapping, checking each artifact and taking detailed documentation before placing them on walls and stands.

Technicians adjusted climate control systems. In the scientific facility, personnel set up devices intended to preserve ancient items.

Investment and Economic Plans

The project has been the idea of entrepreneur Phillip Ihenacho – presently Mowaa's chief executive.

"I aim us to have a significant economic benefit on area populations around here," he explained to the press, adding that he hoped to make this urban center "a tourism center."

Mowaa, a non-profit local organization, aims at generating more than 30,000 direct and indirect jobs and adding over $80m per year to the area arts sector through partnerships and programming.

Investment and Administrative Problems

It has required $25m to get here – money collected from different supporters, including the European governments, the British Museum and the regional authorities.

But at present the regional administration has revoked permission from under it – revoking the use of the land on which the museum was built.

An official representative clarified this was because in the initial documents it had referred to itself as Edo Museum of West African Art – and it had later dropped "the state identifier" from its title.

Unrest and Official Response

This statement was preceded by rallies on the weekend, when activists entered the complex demanding it be designated the Benin Royal Museum.

A boisterous crowd confronted overseas dignitaries at the venue before the launch – forcing them to be quickly removed under official guard.

National leader Bola Tinubu has additionally stepped in to work to address the conflict, creating a special task force to address the controversy.

Governance Issues

But in what way has this evolved into so politicised – and such a public relations crisis?

Much of it comes down to internal conflicts at a local state level, as it was Edo's previous governor Godwin Obaseki – whose governance ended the previous year – who was a key supporter of the project.

And it seems the government of the current leader, a close ally of the regional monarch, called the Oba, may seek increased control in the venture. The demonstrators on Sunday, for example, were calling for that the museum be put under the supervision of the royal leader.

The Cultural Artifacts Debate

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

Because although the museum does eventually begin operations, these bronzes will be clearly not present.

They are brass, ivory and wooden carvings that once decorated the royal palace of the historical empire before colonial troops stole them in 1897 during a military operation.

Today, many continue to be spread across museums in Europe and North America -- such as the London museum, European center and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Repatriation Campaigns

Their homecoming has become one of the most debated discussions in the international art community. Approximately 150 have currently come back – and additional are scheduled to be repatriated.

When plans for the institution in the urban center were initially revealed in recent years, the influential figures on the country's cultural sector anticipated it would become their ideal location – a modern campus to show them off to the world.

But the issues became confused some time back after the central administration announced that the royal leader would be the proper guardian of returned objects – and the monarch's court pushed for a museum under the royal family's direct control, opposing the preferences of Obaseki.

Strategic Positioning

This placed Mowaa in a delicate position: expressing a specific viewpoint on repatriation while being careful on guardianship – and stressing its broader vision, which led to|c