The Special Committee on the Museum of West African Art (MOWAA), chaired by former Edo State Governor and current Senator Adams Oshiomhole, has recommended that the museum project be handed over to the Oba of Benin for management.
Presenting the committee’s report to Governor Monday Okpebholo in Benin City on Thursday, Oshiomhole argued that the Benin monarchy, as the custodian of the cultural heritage, is best positioned to protect and manage the museum.
“Political administrations are temporary, but the Benin monarchy is permanent. The museum should reflect its true ownership and be renamed the Benin Royal Museum of African Art,” Oshiomhole said.
The six-member committee, set up in November 2025, investigated the project’s governance and funding.
Oshiomhole alleged that the administration of former Governor Godwin Obaseki spent ₦3.8 billion in public funds on the project, while its name was repeatedly changed from Benin Royal Museum to Edo Museum of West African Art (EMOWA) and later MOWAA.
He noted that international donors, including the German government (€4 million) and the Leventis Foundation ($1.5 million), contributed to the project, but questioned claims by MOWAA management that over $18 million was spent on land acquisition and excavation.
Governor Okpebholo praised the committee’s work, describing it as “extensive and thorough,” and announced plans to set up another committee to draft a white paper on the recommendations.
The governor recalled that Obaseki had initially promised to establish a royal museum in honour of the Oba of Benin before the project was altered.“You have done a great job and our ancestors will bless you all,” Okpebholo added.
The recommendation aligns with the Oba of Benin’s long-standing campaign for the return and preservation of stolen Benin artefacts, reinforcing calls for a museum under royal authority to safeguard the cultural treasures.
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