The controversy surrounding the Museum of West African Art (MOWAA) in Benin City has intensified, with government, the Benin Royal Palace and museum authorities divided over the ownership, funding, land and future management of the institution expected to play a role in receiving returned Benin artefacts.
The dispute centres on about ₦3.8 billion reportedly committed by the Edo Government to the project, claims of more than $18 million in external funding and 6.210 hectares of land on which the museum stands. A special committee led by former Edo Governor Adams Oshiomhole recently recommended renaming MOWAA the Benin Royal Museum of African Art and returning its management to the Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II.
The controversy has gained greater significance as restitution of Benin artefacts gathers momentum. Germany agreed to return 1,130 Benin Bronzes in 2022, while the Netherlands returned 119 artefacts in 2025. The University of Cambridge transferred legal ownership of 116 objects in 2026, while Switzerland returned 18 artefacts in June. Nigeria must therefore determine how returned treasures will be owned, preserved, displayed and accessed.
The Benin Royal Palace has maintained that the original royal museum project was altered and effectively “hijacked”, while the Edo House of Assembly has questioned the legality of the land transfer and the project’s financial arrangements. MOWAA, however, has disputed key aspects of the state’s position, while some former government officials and museum representatives have challenged the Assembly’s proceedings.
The dispute also highlights the complicated relationship between traditional custodianship and Nigeria’s formal museum system. In 2023, former President Muhammadu Buhari directed that the Oba of Benin be recognised as owner and custodian of repatriated Benin Bronzes, while the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM) said it would oversee their retrieval, conservation and display with the Oba’s assent.
Edo Governor Monday Okpebholo is expected to study the committee’s findings and work with the Ministry of Justice on a White Paper, with possible prosecution if wrongdoing is established.
Beyond the political and financial disagreements, the MOWAA controversy raises a broader national question: as Nigeria brings its cultural treasures home after more than a century abroad, who should have the authority to preserve, interpret and pass them on to future generations?
Commentary by Imelda Osayande, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)
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