Nigeria’s long-awaited Museum of West African Art (Mowaa) was meant to open this week in Benin City — instead, it has been caught in a storm of local politics.

Built on a six-hectare site in the heart of Edo State’s capital, the $25m complex designed by celebrated architect Sir David Adjaye was supposed to mark a new era for West African culture. Instead, the Edo state government has revoked the museum’s land rights just days before its public debut.

Officials say the issue lies in the name: the museum originally registered as the Edo Museum of West African Art, but later dropped “Edo” — a move that local authorities claim violates the original agreement. Protesters, meanwhile, have demanded it be renamed the Benin Royal Museum, under the direct control of the traditional ruler, Oba Ewuare II.

The museum’s executive director, Phillip Ihenacho, says Mowaa’s mission is being misrepresented.

“We have always said this is not only about history, but about creating an ecosystem to support creatives in West Africa,” he told the BBC.

Backed by donors including the French and German governments, the British Museum, and the Edo State government, Mowaa aims to generate over 30,000 jobs and contribute $80 million annually to the local creative economy.

But the political feud has drawn in Nigeria’s president, Bola Tinubu, who ordered a special committee to mediate. The row risks overshadowing what was meant to be a landmark cultural achievement — and has revived old tensions around the Benin Bronzes, priceless artefacts looted by British troops in 1897.

The bronzes were expected to be a highlight of the museum’s collection, but their ownership remains disputed between the federal government and the royal palace. Mowaa insists it has no legal claim to the artefacts and instead plans to focus on contemporary African creativity — from film and dance to visual art.

Its inaugural exhibition, Homecoming, brings together leading artists like Yinka Shonibare, Toyin Ojih Odutola, and Ndidi Dike. Shonibare’s centrepiece, Monument to the Restitution of the Mind and Soul, features over 150 clay replicas of the looted bronzes — a meditation on trauma and memory.

“It’s about absence and reconnection with the land of Benin,” Shonibare said. “In a way, the work is mourning.”

For now, the doors of Mowaa remain closed. But inside, staff continue preparing galleries and calibrating preservation systems — hoping politics won’t bury a vision meant to redefine what a modern African museum can be.

Источник: https://parliament-daily.com/component/k2/item/215467