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The Battle for Benin's Soul The Museum, the Monarch, and the Looted Bronzes

Monday, 10 November 2025 13:28

Summary

The soft launch of the multi-million dollar Museum of West African Art (MOWAA) in Benin City, Nigeria, was violently disrupted by protesters aligned with the traditional ruler, the Oba of Benin, highlighting a deep and complex internal conflict over the restitution of the Benin Bronzes . The dispute pits the Oba, who was granted ownership and custodianship of all repatriated artefacts by a controversial 2023 presidential decree, against the federal government's National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM) and the Edo State government, which championed the MOWAA project . Conceived as a world-class, publicly accessible home for the thousands of objects looted during the 1897 British Punitive Expedition, MOWAA is opening with contemporary art and clay replicas, a stark symbol of the unresolved political and cultural tensions that have stalled the final stage of the global restitution movement . The confrontation in Benin City underscores a fundamental question: who speaks for a nation's heritage when that heritage is simultaneously a royal treasure, a national asset, and a symbol of colonial injustice ?

A Disrupted Opening in the Ancient City

The preview event for the Museum of West African Art (MOWAA) in Benin City, Nigeria, was intended to be a moment of cultural triumph, marking the near-completion of a world-class institution designed to anchor the return of Africa’s most famous looted treasures . Instead, the soft launch on a Sunday evening in November 2025 descended into chaos when a group of young men stormed the grounds . Videos of the disruption showed demonstrators loudly chanting “Oba ghato kpere ise,” a Bini language phrase meaning “Long live the King,” in support of the traditional ruler, the Oba of Benin . Foreign and local guests, many of whom had travelled long distances, were quickly ushered out by security personnel as the protesters entered the reception pavilion and began vandalising parts of the area . The museum’s executive director, Phillip Ihenacho, confirmed that the protesters had stormed the front section where the exhibition area is located, causing minor damage . The confrontation forced MOWAA to cancel all further preview events and indefinitely postpone the official opening, which had been scheduled for the following Tuesday . The incident brought into sharp public focus a bitter, years-long dispute over the control and final destination of the Benin Bronzes, the very artefacts the museum was initially conceived to house . The museum, a multi-million dollar project, was established in 2020 and is a non-profit organisation, though it was backed by the former Edo State government . Its ambitious vision includes conservation labs, galleries, and studios, aiming to foster exchanges around West African art and serve as a centre for excellence for African and diaspora artists and scholars . The total projected cost for the entire campus, including an endowment fund, is over $100 million, with approximately $20 million already raised from a consortium of sponsors including the Edo State government, the German and French governments, the Open Society Foundation, and the Mellon Foundation . Despite this significant international backing and its state-of-the-art facilities, MOWAA is opening with an exhibition of contemporary art and clay replicas of the Bronzes, a direct consequence of the unresolved ownership conflict .

The Shadow of the Punitive Expedition

The current conflict is inextricably linked to the violent colonial history of the Kingdom of Benin, a powerful pre-colonial empire whose capital was Benin City . The artefacts at the heart of the dispute, collectively known as the Benin Bronzes, are a vast collection of thousands of metal plaques, sculptures, and other objects made of brass, bronze, carved ivory, and wood, dating from the fourteenth to the seventeenth centuries . These objects, which include memorial heads of kings and relief panels depicting court life, were not merely decorative art but served as sacred, historical, and spiritual records of the kingdom . The crisis began in 1897 with the British Punitive Expedition, an act of military retaliation that followed the ambush and killing of a British party . In January 1897, a party of nine British officials, led by Acting Consul General James Phillips, attempted to travel to Benin City despite a request from the reigning monarch, Oba Ovonramwen, to delay their visit . The party, which included over 250 African soldiers and carriers, was ambushed at Ugbine village, resulting in the deaths of seven British officials and most of their African porters . In response, Rear-Admiral Harry Rawson was appointed to lead a force of approximately 1,200 Royal Marines, sailors, and Niger Coast Protectorate Forces in a punitive invasion . The British force captured and sacked Benin City in February 1897, destroying buildings, homes, and the royal palace, and desecrating sacred sites . During the invasion, British troops looted between 3,000 and 5,000 objects of immense cultural value from the palace compounds and other sites . The looted treasures were taken to Britain, where many were auctioned off by the British Admiralty to help cover the costs of the military venture . This dispersal scattered the Bronzes across European and North American museums and private collections, where they have remained for over a century . Oba Ovonramwen was captured in August 1897 and subsequently exiled, marking the end of the independent Kingdom of Benin .

The Three-Way Custody Battle

The global movement for the restitution of the Benin Bronzes, which gained significant momentum in the 21st century, was intended to correct the historical injustice of 1897, but it has instead exposed a deep fracture within Nigeria over who should be the ultimate custodian . The three main claimants are the Federal Government of Nigeria, represented by the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM); the Edo State Government, which backed MOWAA; and the Benin Royal Palace, led by the current monarch, Oba Ewuare II . For years, the Benin Dialogue Group, a consortium of Western museums and Nigerian cultural partners, worked collaboratively with the impression that the conflict on the Nigerian side had been settled, with the Edo Museum of West African Art (EMOWAA, later MOWAA) being the agreed-upon destination . The Edo State government, under Governor Godwin Obaseki, championed MOWAA as a publicly accessible, world-class institution that would redefine African museum practice . The Oba, however, has consistently argued that since the artefacts were looted from the royal palace, they should be returned directly to the descendants of the royal family, not to the state government . The Oba views the Bronzes not just as works of art, but as sacred objects that hold the soul of the kingdom's history . This internal dispute was dramatically altered in March 2023, shortly before the end of his term, when then-President Muhammadu Buhari issued an official government gazette . The declaration, titled 'Notice of Presidential Declaration – on the Recognition of Ownership, and an order vesting custody and Management of Repatriated looted Benin Artefacts in the Oba of Benin kingdom,' vested the ownership and custody of all repatriated and future-repatriated Bronzes in the Oba of Benin . This executive act effectively converted what had been considered public cultural assets into the private property of the reigning monarch, a move that caught the NCMM and many European partners off-guard . The decree stipulated that the Oba would be responsible for the management of all places where the artefacts are domiciled and that they could not be taken out of designated custody without his written consent . The NCMM, which had negotiated the return of the Bronzes from several countries, expressed surprise and concern that the declaration was not compatible with existing Nigerian law and museum practice . The uncertainty created by the decree immediately stalled the return process, leading institutions like the University of Cambridge to postpone the planned repatriation of 116 artefacts . The Oba, Ewuare II, subsequently announced plans to build a separate 'Benin Royal Museum' on or near his palace grounds to house the returned objects . While a 2025 agreement between the NCMM and the Royal Palace suggested the NCMM would oversee retrieval and preservation with the Oba's approval, the fundamental question of ultimate control and public access remains a point of contention .

The Museum of Clay Replicas

The Museum of West African Art, which was initially known as the Edo Museum of West African Art (EMOWAA), was designed by the renowned British-Ghanaian architect David Adjaye and was intended to be the physical manifestation of the restitution dream . The project was meant to put to rest the Western-centric argument that Africa lacked the infrastructure and capacity to care for its own heritage . The MOWAA Institute, the first part of the planned 15-acre Creative Campus, opened in November 2024, featuring conservation labs, exhibition spaces, and a focus on training a new generation of African researchers and cultural practitioners . The museum’s executive director, Phillip Ihenacho, has stated that MOWAA is available to conserve or exhibit the Bronzes if needed, but that the institution did not want to become further entangled in the ownership dispute . The decision to open MOWAA with a world-class exhibition of contemporary art, including a pyramid-shaped installation by artist Yinka Shonibare featuring clay replicas of the Bronzes, is a powerful statement . It asserts that the institution’s story is defined on its own terms, focusing on the future of West African art and culture rather than existing solely as a 'shrine' to the Western restitution narrative . The absence of the original repatriated Bronzes, which include 119 pieces returned by the Netherlands in June 2025, is a visible sign of the political deadlock . The returned artefacts are currently in the custody of the NCMM in secure storage, awaiting a resolution on their final display location . The protest that disrupted the soft launch was a direct challenge to the MOWAA project, which palace-aligned media outlets have accused the Edo State government of setting up to 'hijack' the restitution process . The demonstrators, chanting in support of the Oba, made it clear that for them, the only legitimate destination for the treasures is the Royal Museum under the monarch’s direct control .

The Future of Cultural Sovereignty

The internal Nigerian dispute has created a complex ethical and logistical challenge for Western institutions that have committed to restitution . While the moral imperative for the return of the Bronzes is widely accepted, the lack of a clear, unified recipient has provided a pretext for some to pause or question the process . The transfer of ownership of 1,130 artefacts from Germany to the Nigerian state in 2022, for example, was followed by the controversial presidential decree that transferred control to the Oba, creating significant uncertainty for the German government and others . The core of the disagreement lies in the definition of the artefacts: are they the private, sacred property of the royal lineage, or are they the public, national heritage of the Nigerian people ? The Oba’s position is rooted in the historical fact that the Bronzes were looted from his ancestor’s palace, making the royal family the direct victim and rightful owner . The NCMM and the MOWAA proponents argue for public access, conservation standards, and the national benefit of housing the collection in a world-class, non-palace institution . The disruption at MOWAA is a powerful illustration of how the final act of restitution—the homecoming—is not a simple administrative transfer but a deeply political and cultural negotiation of power and identity . The fate of the repatriated Bronzes, currently in secure storage, will ultimately determine whether the global restitution movement results in a publicly accessible national treasure or a collection held under the authority of a traditional monarch .

Conclusion

The confrontation at the Museum of West African Art in Benin City serves as a potent symbol of the unfinished business of decolonisation . The global campaign to return the Benin Bronzes, once seen as a clear moral victory against colonial theft, has devolved into a local struggle for control, pitting the authority of the traditional monarch against the institutions of the modern state . The multi-million dollar MOWAA, a project co-funded by international partners and designed to be a beacon of African cultural capacity, now stands as a monument to this internal deadlock, opening its doors with replicas instead of the originals it was built to house . The 2023 presidential decree, which vested ownership in the Oba, has created a legal and political chasm that has stalled further repatriations and complicated the future of the objects already returned . Until the Nigerian federal government, the Edo State government, and the Benin Royal Palace can reconcile their competing claims—a royal treasure versus a national asset—the Bronzes will remain in a state of limbo, their homecoming incomplete . The ultimate resolution will not only determine the fate of thousands of priceless artefacts but will also set a critical precedent for cultural sovereignty and restitution efforts across the African continent .

References

  1. Protesters disrupt the soft opening of a new museum in Nigeria that was to house returned artifacts

    Used to confirm the date, location, nature of the protest (disruption of soft launch), the museum's purpose (to house Bronzes), the protesters' allegiance (Oba of Benin), and the immediate consequence (suspension of activities).

  2. Protesters storm Nigeria's new art museum

    Used to confirm the multi-million dollar nature of MOWAA, the forced halt of the preview event, the museum's conception as a home for the Bronzes, and the cancellation of all preview events.

  3. Protesters disrupt the soft opening of a new museum in Nigeria that was to house returned artifacts

    Used to confirm the date of the protest (Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025) and the location (Benin City).

  4. Protesters disrupt event at Nigerian museum embroiled in looted artefacts row

    Used to detail the protesters' chant ('Oba ghato kpere ise'), the minor damage, the director's quote on the vandalism, MOWAA's facilities (conservation labs, galleries), and the co-funding by French and German governments.

  5. Protests suspend opening of Nigeria heritage museum

    Used to confirm the indefinite postponement of the official opening, the number of protesters (around 20 men), and the belief that the protesters were 'representatives from the palace'.

  6. Controversy Still Surrounds Ownership of Benin Bronzes

    Used to detail the 2023 law by former President Buhari transferring ownership to Oba Ewuare II, the NCMM's surprise and request for amendments, and the resulting postponement of returns by institutions like Cambridge University.

  7. Nigeria Debates the Fate of Returning Benin Bronzes

    Used to explain the three-way conflict (Oba, NCMM, Edo Governor), the Oba's demand for a 'Royal Museum' within his palace grounds, and the Governor's support for the Edo Museum of West African Art.

  8. Restitution row: how Nigeria's new home for the Benin bronzes ended up with clay replicas

    Used to detail the MOWAA opening with clay replicas, the $25m cost, the initial plan for MOWAA to be the home for the Bronzes, the 2023 decree ending the tussle, and the involvement of the Benin Dialogue Group.

  9. Repatriation of the Benin Bronzes: an Ethical and Legal Discussion?

    Used to provide historical context on the 1897 British Punitive Expedition, the looting of 3,000 valuable works, and the initial formal request for return by the Benin Royal Palace and Federal Ministry in 2002.

  10. Restitution row: how Nigeria's new home for the Benin bronzes ended up with clay replicas

    Used to confirm the Oba's plan for a 'Benin Royal Museum' and the accusation that MOWAA was set up to 'hijack' the restitution process.

  11. Protests suspend opening of Nigeria heritage museum

    Used to confirm the indefinite postponement of the official opening, the number of protesters (around 20 men), and the belief that the protesters were 'representatives from the palace'.

  12. MOWAA Gets $3m Grant Ahead Official Opening

    Used to confirm MOWAA's founding year (2020) and the $3 million grant from the Andrew Mellon Foundation.

  13. Restitution row: how Nigeria's new home for the Benin bronzes ended up with clay replicas

    Used to confirm the display of clay replicas and the artist Yinka Shonibare's installation.

  14. Nigeria Gives Benin Ruler Exclusive Ownership of Bronzes

    Used to cite the specific date of the federal government Order (March 23, 2023), the title of the declaration, and the clause requiring the Oba's written consent for artefacts to be taken out of custody.

  15. Museum of West African Art opens with a bold artistic vision

    Used to confirm MOWAA's opening of its first part in November 2024, the projected $100m cost, the $20m raised, and the director's quote about not wanting to be entangled in the dispute.

  16. MOWAA Receives $3 Million Mellon Foundation Grant to Transform Arts Management in West Africa

    Used to confirm the Mellon Foundation grant's purpose for arts management, conservation, and education, and the MOWAA Institute's role as a hub.

  17. Museum of West African Art receives $3 million grant for sector growth

    Used to confirm MOWAA's non-profit status and the 15-acre Creative Campus.

  18. Benin City museum opens first part of planned campus

    Used to confirm the MOWAA Institute's opening date (November 2024), the architect (Adjaye Associates), and the funding sources including the German and Nigerian governments.

  19. What the West Gets Wrong About Restitution

    Used to cite the MOWAA director's perspective on the museum's purpose, the focus on contemporary art, and the rejection of the Western-centric 'shrine' narrative.

  20. Benin Expedition of 1897

    Used for detailed historical facts on the 1897 expedition: the leader (Sir Harry Rawson), the force size (1,200 men), the response to the ambush of James Phillips' party, and the capture of Benin City.

  21. Benin Punitive Expedition

    Used to confirm the size of Phillips' party (nine British officials and over 260 African soldiers/carriers) and the date of the ambush (January 4, 1897).

  22. Nigeria: Do Benin Bronzes belong to Oba kingdom or the people?

    Used to confirm the date of Buhari's gazette (March 28, 2023), the number of looted objects (more than 5,000), and the Oba's plan for a separate museum.

  23. The British raid on Benin 1897

    Used to confirm the looting of between 3,000 and 5,000 objects, the auctioning by the British Admiralty to cover costs, and the fact that the 'Bronzes' are also made of brass, carved ivory, and wood.

  24. The Benin “Bronzes”: a story of violence, theft, and artistry (article)

    Used to confirm the destruction of buildings and desecration of sacred sites during the 1897 sacking of Benin City.

  25. Buhari Stalls the Return of Looted Benin Bronzes to Nigeria

    Used to cite the specific title of the Presidential Declaration and the fact that it stalled the return of 116 artefacts by Cambridge University.

  26. Benin Bronzes

    Used to confirm the return of 119 bronzes by the Netherlands in June 2025 and the Oba's subsequent announcement of a future museum near his palace.

  27. “Benin Bronzes Are Not Just Works Of Art; They Are Sacred Objects That Hold The Soul Of Our History,” says Oba Of Benin

    Used to cite the Oba's view of the Bronzes as 'sacred objects' and the 2025 agreement between the NCMM and the Royal Palace.

  28. Where will Benin bronzes go? Nigerian government, Edo Museum or Oba?

    Used to confirm the three-way conflict and the Edo Governor's acknowledgement that repatriation is traditionally a national government process.

  29. Nigeria transfers ownership of Benin Bronzes to royal ruler—confusing European museums' plans to return artefacts

    Used to confirm the transfer of ownership of 1,130 artefacts from Germany to the Nigerian state in 2022, followed by the presidential decree.

  30. Nigeria Recognises Oba of Benin as Owner and Custodian of All Looted Benin Artefacts

    Used to confirm the official recognition of the Oba as owner and custodian of all looted artefacts, both repatriated and yet to be repatriated.