Art enthusiasts and patrons gathered on Tuesday, April 8, for an exclusive fundraising dinner in Lagos, celebrating the Museum of West African Art (MOWAA) and the return of the Nigeria Pavilion from the 2024 Venice Biennale.
The private event, held at MÌLÍKÌ on Etim Inyang Crescent, was hosted by investment banker and MOWAA Development Board member, Ike Chioke, alongside his wife, Yvonne Chioke.
In his welcome address, Chioke spoke passionately about his deep-rooted connection to Nigerian culture and the urgent need to invest in preserving the nation’s heritage.
“One of the projects my wife and I have supported is the Museum of West African Art,” he told the room of MOWAA patrons, collectors, and cultural advocates.
He highlighted MOWAA’s mission to redefine the traditional museum model by creating a dynamic institute that not only safeguards Nigeria’s cultural heritage but also educates future generations about the country’s identity and traditions.
Describing the museum as a hub for art lovers, Chioke underscored its role in deepening public engagement with Nigeria’s rich cultural legacy.
He said: “This initiative comes at a time when global attention is increasingly focused on Nigeria’s development and cultural influence.
“Since its establishment in 2019, MOWAA has made significant strides, with its first operational building now standing on its Benin City campus,” he stated.
According to Chioke, the museum has “come of age,” and its location in Benin, a city globally recognised for its iconic bronzes was a strategic decision. This choice, he said, reflects the nonprofit organisation’s commitment to grounding cultural ownership in a historically significant center of African artistic excellence.
He called on art enthusiasts and advocates of Nigerian history to rally support for its preservation efforts.
Outlining the institute as a beacon for storytelling and cultural education, Chioke stressed its role in helping both adults and children understand their roots and the impact of heritage on personal identity while appealing to individuals who are passionate about Nigeria’s culture to aid in promoting and sustaining the institution’s mission.
Philip Ihenacho, director, MOWAA, followed with a passionate address that detailed MOWAA’s evolution from a conversation about restitution to an ambitious platform for contemporary African creativity while re-echoing Chioke’s appeal for local investment in the facility.
According to him, despite the institute having received $25 million, primarily from foreign donors, many international partners would prefer to see Nigerian control.
He said: “What we decided from the beginning was that we did not want to be a memorial for art done hundreds of years ago and disconnected from the present. We wanted to support contemporary creative, not just visual artists, but fashion designers, filmmakers, musicians, and photographers.”
He noted a paradigm shift in global perception, stating: “Twenty-five years ago, if you said you were Nigerian abroad, people might talk about their strange airport stories or spam faxes. Today, they say ‘wow!’ And that’s not because of oil and gas, it’s because of our culture.”
Ihenacho revealed a robust sustainability plan aimed at ensuring the long-term viability of the project, which is set to operate differently from traditional museums.
Responding to concerns about financial sustainability, he emphasised that the initiative is not just focused on construction but also on consistent maintenance.
“We don’t want to just build something, we want to make sure that we maintain it,” he said.
Structured as an independent, non-governmental charitable foundation, the project, Ihenacho explained, will rely on two key income streams: continual donations and international grant support.
He said: “One is continual donations. So we’re setting up a membership scheme. If you join as a member, that entitles you to a number of privileges, privileged access to exhibitions, but also we run seminars, educational programming, etc. So as a member, you are able to access some of these things.
“And then secondly, we are plugged very much into the international foundations. So people like Ford Foundation, Getty Foundation, Mellon Foundation, large US foundations, large European foundations are also providing support to us.”
While re-echoing Chioke’s appeal for local investment in the facility, Ihenacho noted that despite the institute having received $25 million, primarily from foreign donors, many international partners would prefer to see Nigerian control.
He made a heartfelt appeal to Nigerian stakeholders, stating: “Every institution asks us: What about Nigerians? What is the local support? Your donations, no matter the amount, will help unlock additional support.”
He further described the new building as the largest and most sophisticated collection and storage facility in Africa. “It is the only EDGE-certified museum in the world, powered entirely by solar and battery by year-end,” he remarked.
Beyond the physical structures, he shared that the museum has planted a rainforest at its centre, a homage to the natural environment in which the ancient art was originally made.
“Ten years from now, I suspect the most memorable part of MOWAA won’t be any building, it’ll be that rainforest, right in the heart of Benin,” he added.
Curator at MOWAA and the visionary behind the Nigerian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, Aindrea Emelife, said: “It’s incredible to see Lagos’ art ecosystem come together to support this initiative. The Nigeria Imaginary exhibition debuted at Venice last year to incredible reviews, it was among the top 10 out of 150 country pavilions.”
Emelife emphasised the importance of bringing the pavilion home, noting: “In many ways, the exhibition resonates more on Nigerian soil. It expands the conversation on how we can reimagine Nigeria, not from a place of loss but from creativity, resilience, and possibility.”
Scheduled for a formal unveiling on November 9th and 10th at MOWAA’s Benin campus, the exhibition, she said, will include both contemporary commissions and historically significant periodicals that shaped Nigerian modernism.
“It will be multidisciplinary and multigenerational, showcasing how incredible Nigeria has been and can continue to be,” Emelife added.
The evening’s narrative was further enriched by Director of the MOWAA Institute, Ore Disu, who spoke about the transition from conceptualisation to activation.
She said: “Many of you have heard about MOWAA as a vision. But now, it’s becoming real. We are shifting from the inspirational to the operational. We’re opening our space next month and we’re ready to activate a campus that truly reflects African excellence.”
Disu emphasised that the institute’s agenda extended beyond traditional notions of art. She detailed how the collections facility, equipped with world-class technology, down to controls for humidity and even vibrations will serve not only for preservation but also for generating global exhibitions and exchanges.
According to her: “We’re embracing traditional craft makers, researchers, archaeologists bringing together knowledge systems that have long been underrepresented. This is about telling stories that haven’t been told because the infrastructure and support haven’t existed until now.”
She also highlighted the importance of their upcoming artist residencies, describing them as a platform to incubate ideas, foster dialogue, and expand the boundaries of African creativity.
By the end of the dinner, it was clear that the evening had transcended the limits of a fundraiser. It was a cultural moment, a call to action, and a celebration of the past, present, and future of African heritage.
