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The nation's remarkable new Museum of West African Art (Mowaa) has ended up in the crosshairs of regional political struggles during the week it was scheduled to – but failed – to welcome visitors to the public for the first time.

The Grand Vision

The 15-acre facility sits in the heart of the Edo state capital, capital of the southern region of Edo – and includes an excavation site and facilities designed by renowned British-Ghanaian architect Sir David Adjaye, best known for the Smithsonian African American Museum that began operations in the US capital in 2016.

It has been five years in the development – and is planned to showcase both the history and the modern times of cultural innovation in the area known for the cultural artifacts, historical pieces looted from the city's royal palace by UK forces in the 19th Century.

Setup and Prospects

It is impressive – and prior to the anticipated opening, Mowaa was buzzing with staff determined to prove it is a venue that can match renowned art institutions in the West.

Within preservation experts meticulously unwrapped cultural items from secure wrapping, checking each artifact and taking detailed records before arranging them on walls and stands.

Technicians calibrated temperature regulation systems. In the scientific facility, staff members set up devices meant to maintain centuries-old objects.

Financial Backing and Economic Vision

The venture has been the brainchild of investor Phillip Ihenacho – presently Mowaa's executive director.

"I aim us to have a major financial effect on area populations in the vicinity," he explained to journalists, adding that he hoped to make the city "a tourism center."

Mowaa, a non-profit local organization, aims at generating in excess of 30,000 employment opportunities and providing above $80m annually to the local cultural industry through partnerships and programming.

Investment and Administrative Problems

It has needed $25m to reach this point – funds gathered from multiple donors, featuring the European governments, the London institution and the Edo state government.

But currently the state authorities has withdrawn support from below it – terminating the occupancy of the property on which the museum was built.

An official representative explained this was because in the original paperwork it had referred to itself as Edo Museum of West African Art – and it had subsequently dropped "the state identifier" from its designation.

Unrest and Official Response

This announcement came after rallies on Sunday, when people invaded the facility calling for it be named the Museum of the Benin Kingdom.

A disruptive crowd harassed overseas dignitaries at the facility ahead of the opening – forcing them to be hurried away under official guard.

President Bola Tinubu has also intervened to attempt to settle the tensions, setting up a special task force to do some damage control.

Governance Issues

But why has this become so politicised – and such a reputation problem?

Much of it stems from internecine rivalries at a regional government level, as it was Edo's previous governor Godwin Obaseki – whose administration concluded recently – who was a primary advocate of the project.

And it appears the government of the recently elected official, a key associate of the regional monarch, called the Oba, may seek more of a stake in the venture. The demonstrators on the weekend, for instance, were calling for that the facility be positioned under the control of Oba Ewuare II.

The Benin Bronzes Controversy

This brings into focus the disputed topic of the cultural artifacts, one of Africa's most celebrated historical legacy.

Because though the museum does ultimately welcome visitors, these bronzes will be conspicuously absent.

They are brass, ivory and wooden carvings that once decorated the royal palace of the ancient kingdom before British soldiers stole them in 1897 during a punitive expedition.

Today, thousands remain distributed across galleries in the West -- including the UK institution, Berlin's Humboldt Forum and the American museum.

Repatriation Campaigns

Their repatriation has become one of the most debated discussions in the international art community. Approximately 150 have presently been returned – and additional are due to follow.

When ideas for the museum in the urban center were originally proposed in recent years, the key players on Nigeria's art scene expected it would become their natural home – a state-of-the-art facility to display them to the global audience.

But the waters were muddied 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 institution under the monarch's supervision, contrary to the desires of Obaseki.

Political Navigation

This left Mowaa in a delicate position: expressing a definite position on restitution while being careful on custodianship – and highlighting its wider mission, which led to|c