Political row delays opening of Nigeria’s Museum of West African Art

The opening of the Museum of West African Art (Mowaa) in Nigeria has been postponed until further notice after protesters disrupted a preview event in a political row over the museum’s title and mission.  

The new £40m museum in Benin City, Edo State, was designed by Adjaye Architects and is dedicated to the preservation and celebration of West African heritage, arts and culture.

The delay stems from a row involving the state government, the royal palace of Edo and the museum’s trustees.

Announced in 2020, the museum was initially conceived as a space to display Benin bronzes that were expected to be returned or loaned to Nigeria from Western cultural institutions.

However, in 2023, Nigeria’s federal government ruled that all bronzes should return to the ownership of the Oba (king) of Benin, Ewuare II, the spiritual and cultural leader of the Edo people. The Oba is planning to create a new royal museum to display the artefacts.

In response to the ruling, Mowaa, which was originally called the Edo Museum of West African Art, dropped “Edo” from its name and broadened its remit to broader West African art, research, education and conservation, with a focus on modern and contemporary art as well as historical works from Nigeria and beyond.

According to local media reports, this led to a feeling among some members of the public, as well as the traditional rulers in Edo state, that what began as a local project had been “hijacked”. Mowaa has also been accused of misrepresenting itself as the Benin Royal Museum to attract international funding.

In addition to funding from Nigeria’s federal and state governments, it has been supported by a range of international bodies, including a number of European governments, the Getty Foundation, the Open Society Foundation and the British Museum.

Mowaa has reportedly been criticised by the Oba, with one news report suggesting the leader was dismayed that a project “initially conceived as the Benin Royal Museum under royal custodianship” was rebranded as Mowaa without consent from the palace.

Protesters disrupted a private preview event at the museum on Sunday 9 November, which was attended by a delegation of European diplomats, to express their discontent with the museum’s name, structure and mission, chanting of “Oba ghato kpere ise” (“long live the king” in the Bini language).

The day after the protest, the governor of Edo State, Monday Okpebholo, announced that he was revoking the Certificate of Occupancy for the land on which Mowaa is located, citing “overriding public interest” and doubts about the museum’s ownership and governance.

Okpebholo said his administration had not been informed about the presence of foreign envoys in the state for the opening of Mowaa and accused the museum of a “lack of transparency”.

In a statement on its website, Mowaa said it wished to “clarify recent misconceptions” about its “mission, holdings, and role within Benin City’s cultural landscape”. 

The statement said that Mowaa holds the Oba “in the highest esteem and continues to uphold deep respect for the Benin Throne, making every effort to foster understanding and good will”.

“We remain dedicated to engaging respectfully and are committed to a collective effort to contribute to the preservation and advancement of West Africa’s rich cultural legacy,” said the statement.

The institution said it “does not hold, nor have we ever claimed title to any Benin bronzes”.

It said: “Since our inception in 2020, the museum has consistently affirmed that it has no claims to these artefacts. Our focus for the last four years has been firmly on broader West African art, research, education, and conservation, with a strong focus on modern and contemporary, as well as historical works from Nigeria and beyond. There are no Benin bronzes on display at the museum, nor have there ever been.” 

The statement added: “With regard to recent references to the Benin Royal Museum, we wish to clarify that Mowaa has never claimed nor presented itself as the Benin Royal Museum in order to secure funding. We would suggest that the relevant authorities confirm directly with any and all of our donors that we have never misrepresented our status.”

Mowaa said it was committed to “supporting other museums and cultural institutions in Benin City and across West Africa” and that its goal “has always been to complement, not compete with, other cultural institutions”.

The museum said no formal opening had taken place yet and the preview was a private event to show the museum’s first contemporary exhibition and a showcase of recently conserved historical works from Nigeria and West Africa, with no historical works of Benin heritage on display.  

“We were saddened by the events of yesterday,” said Phillip Ihenacho, director of Mowaa on 10 December.

“But we hope this moment can lead to renewed dialogue, engagement and understanding, so that together we can realise the full potential of what Mowaa can represent for Nigeria and Africa at large.”

Ore Disu, director of Mowaa Institute, said: “We set out to demonstrate that it’s possible to build world-class conservation facilities, research, and exhibition spaces right here in Nigeria. We’ve shown that African stories can be told on our own terms, and I’m incredibly proud and grateful for what we’ve accomplished so far. This is a gift for Black and African people everywhere; for people today and future generations.”

There is concern among Nigeria’s cultural commentators that the row could damage the country’s reputation and set back efforts to repatriate the Benin bronzes and other cultural artefacts.

A group called the Edo Progressive Advancement Coalition has called on the country's president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to urgently intervene in the dispute to “[salvage] the nation’s reputation in the international communities”.

“As a body of Edo sociocultural intelligentsia comprising professionals and artisans, we are appalled by the degrading scenarios that have transpired in the ancient city of Benin regarding a world-class museum that ought to be the pride of all,” the group said.