What was meant to be a landmark cultural renaissance in Benin City has instead ignited one of Edo State’s fiercest debates. The Museum of West African Arts (MOWAA), built on the former Edo General Hospital site, promised to showcase heritage and scholarship. Yet disputes over its ownership, naming, and purpose—particularly between the state government and the Benin Palace—have turned a celebrated legacy project into a contest of history, power and identity, reports OSAGIE OTABOR
The Museum of West African Arts (MOWAA), sited on the grounds of the former Edo General Hospital in the heart of Benin City, is one of the most contentious legacy projects of former Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki. Conceived as a cultural and research hub, the project was designed to house the MOWAA Institute, Museum building, Rainforest Gallery, Art Guesthouse and Artisans’ Hall. While the entire complex is slated for completion in 2028, the MOWAA Institute and Museum building have already been completed and are set for public viewing. The initiative is projected to cost about $100 million, though reports indicate that only $20 million has so far been released.
However, the project has been dogged by disputes, particularly over ownership and origin. The Oba of Benin, His Royal Majesty Oba Ewuare II, contends that the idea was originally conceived as the Benin Royal Museum, an effort rooted in the longstanding struggle for the return of looted Benin artefacts taken during the 1897 British invasion. According to the monarch, he personally sought Obaseki’s support in 2017 to advance the dream of restoring the prized objects to the palace.
He recalled that although the governor initially agreed to collaborate, events soon took a different turn. Oba Ewuare II said Obaseki later informed him that international donors and the Benin Dialogue Group were instead aligning with his administration to establish a different museum framework. The Oba alleged that, during the COVID-19 period, he discovered plans to divert funds and control over the artefacts away from the palace. He also criticised the establishment of the Legacy Restoration Trust and the involvement of foreign partners, particularly from Germany, whom he said acted without proper regard for Benin traditions or royal authority.
It was gathered that the Benin Monarch eventually withdrew his support for the museum initiative after reportedly sensing a lack of transparency in the activities of the Legacy Restoration Trust. Despite this, former Governor Obaseki pressed ahead with the plan, demolishing the Edo General Hospital to pave the way for what was initially named the Edo Museum of West African Arts (EMOWAA). The subsequent removal of the letter “E,” thus renaming it MOWAA, deepened public suspicion that the project was gradually shifting from a state-backed cultural institution to a potentially private-oriented enterprise.
Funding for MOWAA, checks revealed, has come from a broad network of both domestic and international partners. These include the Edo State Government, the Nigerian and German governments, the Gerda Henkel Foundation, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), the Open Society Foundation, the Ford Foundation, and the Mellon Foundation, which specifically provided a $3 million grant targeted at training and professional development.
In October, Governor Monday Okpebholo directed the Edo State House of Assembly to investigate both the MOWAA project and the Radisson Hotel involvement. The Assembly was mandated to determine the state’s equity in MOWAA, especially given the government’s financial commitment of N3.3 billion. Alongside the probe, Governor Okpebholo has reclaimed portions of the land earlier allocated to the museum.
Edo State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Kassim Afegbua, explained that the government had to prioritise healthcare delivery over cultural infrastructure. He added that, were it not for the state’s investment exceeding N3 billion, the entire MOWAA structure would have been removed to restore the hospital. He stated that the change from EMOWAA to MOWAA first triggered doubts, especially as the reason provided—that “Edo” was not marketable—was deemed disrespectful to the history and cultural authority of the Benin Kingdom. The government, he said, ultimately adopted a “middle-ground solution,” curtailing the museum’s expansion and reclaiming part of the land, while planning to rebuild the demolished hospital.
The crisis has also sparked public unrest. Various Benin socio-cultural organisations—women, youths, chiefs and guilds—protested at the Edo Government House and the palace, insisting that funds meant for the Benin Royal Museum were being misapplied. Speaking on behalf of the protesters, Osazee Amas Edobor and Osaro Culture Iyamu demanded that the museum’s inauguration be halted pending the Assembly’s probe, arguing that the dignity of the Oba and the heritage of the Benin people must be safeguarded.
Yet, not everyone views MOWAA through the lens of controversy. Independent artist and cultural heritage advocate, Enotie Ogbebor, argued that the museum should be celebrated rather than vilified. He said Governor Okpebholo’s committee would do better to shift from questioning ownership to promoting what he described as an “extraordinary asset” for Edo and West Africa. Similarly, the spokesman for the Edo PDP, Dan Osa-Ogbegie, criticized what he called the state’s sudden slide into “regression.” He argued that those calling for the demolition of MOWAA so that the old general hospital could be rebuilt were “misguided,” noting that the Obaseki administration had already relocated and expanded the health hub to the Stella Obasanjo axis, where the new central hospital complex is planned. To insist on bringing back the hospital to its former site, he said, was to place “vengeance above vision.”
“If Governor Okpebholo and his party feel uneasy about MOWAA’s governance, there is a civilised remedy,” he said. “They can constitute an independent panel of experts—heritage scholars, accountants, lawyers, architects, representatives of the palace, civil society and the media—to conduct a transparent audit of the project. Let facts, not falsehood, speak. What is indefensible is the bitter clamour to tear down a structure that elevates Edo’s prestige and Nigeria’s cultural standing.”
A source within MOWAA, who requested anonymity, also rejected claims that any individual or group was positioned to profit financially from the project. He said all contributors—government and private foundations alike—made donations, and that MOWAA was registered as a not-for-profit entity without shareholding structure. “MOWAA has a board with seats representing different interests. The Edo State Government has a seat. The Benin Traditional Council had a seat, previously occupied by the Crown Prince, until issues arose and it was agreed amicably that he stepped down,” he explained. “There are no dividends. MOWAA exists for public benefit.” He described the allocation of land and seed funding as standard practice for cultural and developmental investments. Preparations for the public opening on November 11, he noted, were already underway, with heads of global museums, ambassadors, and cultural leaders expected.
Responding to criticisms over the omission of “Edo” from the name, he said the change was intentional to reflect the institution’s wider regional scope. “We are a West African institution domiciled in Edo—not a museum solely for Edo art,” he said. “The location remains Benin City, but the vision is continental.”
However, Oba Ewuare II has maintained that MOWAA must be recognised in its original conception as the Benin Royal Museum, a vision he said was clearly articulated to—and supported by—foreign partners in anticipation of the eventual return of Benin artefacts looted during the 1897 British invasion. The monarch has therefore called on Governor Okpebholo and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to investigate the circumstances that led to the rebranding of the project and to restore its original purpose and identity.
The Oba’s request has since received the backing of Governor Okpebholo, who publicly affirmed his willingness to align with the palace. Declaring the controversy settled, the governor described the project as a symbolic offering to the throne. “The issue of the Museum of West African Art is over,” he said. “It was a birthday gift to Your Majesty and it will be restored as such. I am glad that the Attorney-General, our political leaders and other stakeholders are here to witness this. I will take this video to President Tinubu, who has immense respect for culture and is a personal friend of the Palace. I am confident that Mr President will not support any act that undermines the dignity of the Benin Kingdom.”
The governor’s statement, viewed by many as a decisive turn, signals a likely restructuring of the museum’s governance and identity in alignment with the historical custodianship of the Benin Palace. It also raises expectations that the federal government may soon play a more direct role in resolving the dispute, especially as Nigeria continues to negotiate the restitution of its stolen cultural treasures. With the palace, state government and local cultural stakeholders now seemingly moving toward alignment, the future of MOWAA—whether as a continental arts hub or a restored Benin Royal Museum—may ultimately hinge on how both symbolism and governance are balanced in the coming months.
