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Nigeria's stunning new West African Art Museum (Mowaa) has landed in the center of regional political struggles during the time it was scheduled to – but failed – to welcome visitors to the public for the initial occasion.

The Grand Vision

The 15-acre campus is located in the heart of Benin's urban center, administrative center of the southern area of Edo – and includes an archaeological dig and structures created by high-profile British-Ghanaian architect Sir David Adjaye, particularly noted for the Smithsonian African American Museum that opened in Washington DC in 2016.

It has been five years in the creation – and is designed to showcase both the heritage and the current era of artistic expression in the region famous for the Benin Bronzes, artworks stolen from the royal palace by British troops in the 1800s.

Readiness and Potential

It is remarkable – and prior to the scheduled opening, Mowaa was buzzing with employees determined to prove it is a venue that can match well-known museums and galleries in the West.

Inside conservators carefully revealed cultural items from safety materials, inspecting each item and taking meticulous documentation before placing them on walls and bases.

Specialists adjusted climate control systems. In the materials science laboratory, staff members set up devices meant to conserve ancient objects.

Funding and Economic Goals

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

"I hope us to have a significant economic benefit on communities around here," he explained to the press, adding that he wanted to make Benin City "a tourism center."

Mowaa, a not-for-profit local organization, sees itself generating more than 30,000 direct and indirect jobs and providing above $80m annually to the local cultural industry through alliances and events.

Investment and Administrative Problems

It has required $25m to reach this point – money gathered from different supporters, such as the international partners, the London institution and the local administration.

But at present the state authorities has revoked permission from beneath it – canceling the use of the site on which the building was erected.

An government communicator explained this was because in the initial documents it had identified as the Edo-named institution – and it had since eliminated "the state identifier" from its designation.

Demonstrations and Government Action

This statement came after rallies on Sunday, when activists stormed the campus insisting it be named the Museum of the Benin Kingdom.

A boisterous crowd confronted international visitors at the museum prior to the inauguration – compelling them to be hurried away under security protection.

Head of state Bola Tinubu has even intervened to try and resolve the conflict, creating a special task force to do some damage control.

Governance Issues

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

The majority of it comes down to internecine rivalries at a regional government level, as it was Edo's previous governor Godwin Obaseki – whose governance finished last year – who was a key supporter of the initiative.

And it seems the administration of the recently elected official, a key associate of the regional monarch, called the Oba, may seek greater involvement in the project. The protesters on that day, for example, were demanding that the facility be placed under the authority of the royal leader.

The Cultural Artifacts Debate

This brings into focus the disputed topic of the Benin Bronzes, one of the region's most celebrated artistic heritage.

Because though the facility does finally welcome visitors, these artifacts will be conspicuously absent.

They are brass, ivory and wooden artworks that once decorated the royal palace of the ancient kingdom before colonial troops looted them in the late nineteenth century during a colonial invasion.

Nowadays, thousands remain distributed across galleries in the West -- including the London museum, German museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Return Initiatives

Their return has become one of the most contested debates in the global art world. Approximately 150 have now been returned – and additional are due to follow.

When plans for the institution in the city were initially revealed in recent years, the movers and shakers on the national arts community hoped it would become their ideal location – a state-of-the-art complex to show them off to the international community.

But the issues became confused recently after the federal government declared that the royal leader would be the rightful owner of repatriated artifacts – and the royal household advocated for a institution under the king's authority, against the desires of Obaseki.

Strategic Positioning

This left Mowaa in a difficult situation: asserting a definite position on return while staying tactful on guardianship – and emphasising its wider mission, which led to|c