Nigeria's stunning new Museum of West African Art (Mowaa) has found itself in the crosshairs of local power politics on the week it was supposed to - but failed - to open its doors to the public for the first time.
The six-hectare (15-acre) campus sits in the heart of Benin City, capital of the southern state of Edo - and includes an archaeological dig and buildings designed by high-profile British-Ghanaian architect Sir David Adjaye, best known for the National Museum of African American History and Culture that opened in Washington in 2016.
It has been five years in the making - and is envisioned to celebrate both the past and the present of creativity in the region famous for the Benin Bronzes, artworks looted from the city's royal palace by British soldiers in the 19th Century.
But now the local government has pulled the rug from under it - revoking the use of the land on which the museum was built. An Edo state spokesperson noted this was due to a naming controversy, with the museum originally branded the Edo Museum of West African Art.
Protests erupted before the museum's opening, with demonstrators demanding it be renamed the Benin Royal Museum, reflecting their dissatisfaction with the current naming and custodianship plans.
President Bola Tinubu has intervened, establishing a committee to address the disputes, which are complicated by rivalries within the local government and the royal house of Benin.
Notably, the highly prized Benin Bronzes will be missing from the museum, as the conversation about their restitution is ongoing. Only about 150 of the thousands looted bronzes have been returned thus far, amidst an international debate over ownership and cultural heritage.
This situation poses challenges not just for the museum but potentially for broader efforts to reclaim Africa's cultural artifacts, with fears that disputes over names and custodianship might jeopardize ongoing negotiations for the return of other looted artifacts.
Despite the adversity, the Mowaa aims to serve as a platform for contemporary African creativity, striving to redefine what a modern art institution can be.
