The opening of the Museum of West African Art (MOWAA) in Edo State has been postponed indefinitely after protesters disrupted a private preview event ahead of its planned Tuesday launch. Videos from the scene showed a group of men confronting foreign guests and demanding they leave the premises, forcing organizers to halt all pre-opening activities.
The $25 million museum, backed by international partners including Germany, France, and the Getty Foundation, was conceived as a major cultural hub to celebrate West African art and craftsmanship. However, the project has faced growing controversy over its ties to the Benin Bronzes, thousands of artifacts looted by British soldiers in the 19th century.
MOWAA, in a statement, described the protest as stemming from political tensions between past and current state administrations. The museum emphasized that it remains an independent, non-profit organization with no political or financial ties to any government. All preview events have been canceled, and visitors have been advised to avoid the site until further notice.
“Earlier today, a protest took place on the MOWAA campus in Benin City. The demonstration appeared to stem from disputes between the previous and current state administrations. While MOWAA was mentioned in the wider context of these grievances – alongside other development projects – we wish to emphasise that MOWAA is an independent, non-profit institution, of which the former governor has no interest, financial or otherwise.
As a precaution, all guests were safely escorted to secure locations and supported in continuing their travels to hotels, airports, or other destinations in the city. The safety and well-being of our staff, visitors, and partners remains our highest priority. We are working closely with local authorities to address the situation.
We are deeply grateful to all our guests – many of whom travelled long distances to be here – for their understanding, patience, and resilience. We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience this situation may have caused, including interruptions to travel plans or scheduled visits. Your commitment to being with us means a great deal, and we regret that your experience today was disrupted.
For those currently in Benin City, we advise against visiting the MOWAA campus until the situation has been resolved. There will be no preview events on Sunday, 9 November, Monday, 10 November, and Tuesday, 11 November.
If you were planning to travel to Benin for the MOWAA preview week, please suspend your travel plans unless you have other essential reasons to be in the city.”
