Protests Erupt at Nigeria's New Museum of West African Art

Mon Nov 10 2025 22:59:55 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

A group of protesters disrupted a preview event at Nigeria's new Museum of West African Art, voicing their frustrations over the absence of the Benin Bronzes and other local issues.

In a dramatic turn of events, protesters invaded the opening preview of Nigeria’s Museum of West African Art (Mowaa) in Benin City, targeting foreign guests and halting the event. Anger over the absence of the Benin Bronzes and a perceived misappropriation of a local project is believed to have sparked the unrest. The museum, which is set to house these significant cultural artifacts, has faced criticism over its direction and management as it moves forward with its grand opening.

Protesters targeted a new multi-million dollar museum in Nigeria and forced organisers to halt a preview event ahead of Tuesday's grand opening.

Videos showed a group insulting foreign guests and ordering them to leave after entering the grounds of the Museum of West African Art (Mowaa) in Benin City on Sunday.

The museum in Edo state was conceived as a home for the Benin Bronzes - artefacts looted from there by British soldiers in the 19th Century. The campus includes state-of-the-art preservation and restoration facilities.

However, a bitter dispute over the control of the prized artworks has meant they are not at the museum, something that appeared to have angered the protesters.

All guests were safely escorted to secure locations, according to a statement from the museum. We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience this situation may have caused, Mowaa said.

A local resident told the BBC that frustration stems from what many see as a hijacking of an Edo project. The Benin Oba [king], traditional rulers and the government of Edo are not happy about it, the resident added.

Edo was initially in the museum's name, but this was later dropped. Executive director Phillip Ihenacho told the BBC the backers wanted the institution to serve a wider purpose beyond Nigeria.

In its statement, Mowaa said the protest appeared to stem from disputes between the previous and current state administrations. The museum has now cancelled all preview events leading up to the opening and advised visitors to avoid the campus until the situation is resolved.

We are deeply grateful to all our guests - many of whom travelled long distances to be here - for their understanding, patience, and resilience, the statement concluded.