How do you make a Museum? There's no single answer to this question. It's like asking how to raise a child in Africa: it takes a village. In the case of a museum, that village includes builders, architects, archaeologists, curators, a management team, funders—the list goes on. So, how do you make a museum?
The Museum of West African Art (MOWAA) in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria, is set to open its doors in the spring of 2025. But ahead of this much-anticipated debut, the museum held an exclusive event titled "Making of a museum" on November 4th and 5th, giving supporters, collaborators, members of the press, and friends an inside look at the making of this cultural landmark. Guests were invited to the construction site, gaining a firsthand glimpse of the incredible work underway—from the financing and building processes to active archaeological digs. The event celebrated not just the museum itself but the importance of MOWAA to Nigeria, Africa, and the world.
Creating a museum, like any major project, starts with the land. And it can’t just be any land—it has to mean something. MOWAA is being built on a site steeped in history: the grounds of the former palace of the Oba of Benin. This historical significance anchors the museum to a past that visitors can feel as soon as they arrive.
Then, of course, there’s the matter of funding. Enter MOWAA’s director, Philip Ihenacho, who initially came on board to tackle the immense challenge of financing. “We’ve raised about $22 million of the $50 million needed,” Ihenacho shares. “This is the first time I’m raising money for a charitable project of this scale.” His passion is palpable as he talks about the museum’s potential impact, both locally and globally, setting new benchmarks for cultural institutions in Nigeria.
Fundraising for MOWAA has drawn international support. Germany has invested €6.8 million, a commitment emphasized by German Consul General Weert Börner. “This is just the beginning,” Börner states. “We hope to right past wrongs and support the preservation of this invaluable heritage.” Meanwhile, the European Union, aligned with the spirit of the Dakar Declaration, has committed to a five-year project fostering partnerships between African and European museums. This initiative aims to deepen cultural ties, with involvement from Germany, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. “Our efforts align perfectly with MOWAA’s mission,” notes an EU representative. “We’re excited to join forces and strengthen international relationships.”
But it’s not only international allies backing MOWAA. Support from Nigeria’s own state and federal governments has been crucial. The National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM), Director General Olugbile Holloway puts it plainly: “MOWAA has raised the bar. Anything we do at the federal level now has to match this vision. The museum is a repository of our identity, something we must protect and take pride in.”
And then there’s the art. The bronze sculptures, intricately carved masks, and centuries-old artifacts all need a curator to give them life. Enter Aindrea Emelife, MOWAA’s curator, who promises an extraordinary inaugural display when the museum opens. “Our permanent exhibition will be a rich cross-section of West African art history,” Emelife says. “Each piece is more than an artifact; it’s a memory, a story from our collective journey.” The exhibition is designed to transform the way people engage with art, encouraging visitors to become active participants in the narrative.
Yet, MOWAA isn’t only about preserving history. It’s about shaping the future. In spring 2025, the museum will also launch an artist residency program, a creative melting pot where artists, scholars, and thinkers from around the world can come together. This space will become a hub for exploring identity, heritage, and cultural exchange, inspiring new ideas and global conversations about what it means to be West African today.
The museum’s campus will do more than house art; it will foster cultural dialogue and collaboration. Plans are already in motion to bring back the Nigerian Pavilion from the 2024 Venice Biennale.
“These works were created with the hope and vision of a new Nigeria,” Emelife explains. “Bringing them home will be a momentous occasion, marking a return to the soil and spirit that inspired them.”
This homecoming isn’t just about physical relocation; it’s about a new chapter for Nigeria’s art and heritage. MOWAA’s dedication to preservation extends even further. The museum will feature an archaeology and geophysics school and boasts one of the most significant reforestation projects in the region.
As the 2025 approaches, it’s clear that MOWAA is more than a museum. It’s a living, breathing tribute to West Africa’s spirit—a place where stories of the past and dreams of the future converge. Everyone should be excited for the moment when history and heritage come alive, offering the world a new way to engage with the richness of West African culture.
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