Africa Watch
Protesters Storm Nigeria’s New $25m Museum of West African Art, Forcing Opening to Be Cancelled
What was meant to be a triumphant week for African art turned into chaos last month when dozens of protesters forced their way onto the campus of Nigeria’s long-awaited Museum of West African Art (MOWAA) in Benin City, shutting down preview events and postponing the public opening.
Guests—journalists, curators, and dignitaries flown in from Europe and the United States—were hurriedly escorted out of the gleaming new buildings as demonstrators surged through a side gate, shouting demands and insults. The remaining workshops and talks were cancelled immediately.
MOWAA’s management blamed “disputes between the previous and current state administrations” and insisted the museum is an independent non-profit with no ties to former Edo State governor Godwin Obaseki.
Yet locals who spoke to the BBC painted a different picture: anger that a project once promised as the future home of the repatriated Benin Bronzes has been “hijacked” by outsiders.
The root of the fury is painfully familiar. In 2023, President Bola Tinubu signed a gazette handing ownership of all returned bronzes to the Oba of Benin, Ewuare II. MOWAA, designed by Ghanaian-British star architect Sir David Adjaye and funded with $25 million from German, French, British, and private donors, suddenly lost the very artefacts it was built to showcase. The museum pivoted to contemporary art and research, even quietly dropping “Edo” from its name—an insult the current Edo State government has never forgiven.
The Oba has since announced his own Benin Royal Museum, still years from completion. Meanwhile, MOWAA’s 15-acre campus—complete with a rainforest gallery, conservation labs, and a boutique hotel—stands ready but trapped in a tug-of-war over land, legacy, and who truly speaks for Benin’s history.
Sandra A. Babu-Boateng, a cultural commentator, summed it up bluntly on Instagram:
“We can raise $25 million and build a masterpiece that rivals anything in London or Washington, but if the palace, the government, and the funders can’t sit in one room and agree on governance, the doors stay locked. The building is finished. The system is not.”
Perspective
This is more than a ribbon-cutting gone wrong. It is the latest chapter in a century-long struggle over who owns Africa’s stolen heritage—and who gets to profit from its return.
The bronzes themselves, scattered across Europe for 127 years, have become pawns in a very modern Nigerian power play.
Until the Oba, the state, and MOWAA find a way to share both the artefacts and the spotlight, one of the continent’s most ambitious cultural projects will remain a beautiful museum that nobody can enter.
Pope Leo XIV will depart on Monday, April 13, 2026, for a major 10-day apostolic journey to Africa, visiting Algeria, Cameroon, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea.
Vatican officials are describing the tour as a deliberate effort to shine a global spotlight on the continent.
The trip, spanning nearly 18,000 kilometers (11,185 miles) and including stops in 11 cities and towns, will be the longest and most ambitious overseas journey of the pontiff’s young papacy.
During the tour, running from April 13 to 23, the 70-year-old Pope is scheduled to deliver 25 speeches, hold meetings with political leaders, and engage extensively with local Catholic communities.
Cardinal Michael Czerny, a senior Vatican official and close adviser to Pope Leo, said the visit is intended “to help turn the world’s attention to Africa.”
He noted that by heading to the continent early in his pontificate, the first American Pope is sending a strong message that “Africa matters” and should not be overlooked amid other global concerns.
Africa is currently the fastest-growing region for Catholicism, with more than 20% of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics now living on the continent. Equatorial Guinea, which has not hosted a papal visit since 1982, is over 70% Catholic, while significant Catholic populations exist in Cameroon and Angola. Algeria, by contrast, is overwhelmingly Muslim with a small Catholic community.
The tour comes as Pope Leo has taken an increasingly vocal stance against the ongoing war in Iran. Vatican officials say the African visit reflects both the Church’s pastoral priorities and its commitment to global solidarity with regions often marginalized in international discourse.
Washington, D.C. – The United States has issued a strong travel advisory urging its citizens to reconsider all travel to Nigeria, citing persistent threats of terrorism, kidnapping, civil unrest, and armed attacks across large parts of the country.
In an update released last Wednesday, the US State Department placed several Nigerian states under its highest-level “Do Not Travel” warning due to the deteriorating security situation.
The advisory also authorised the voluntary departure of non-emergency US embassy staff and their families from Abuja, describing the overall environment as increasingly challenging for American citizens and diplomats.
Despite deepening security cooperation between Washington and Abuja — including counter-terrorism support, intelligence sharing, maritime security, and military training with US-supplied aircraft and helicopters — the move underscores the gap between strategic partnership and the daily reality of insecurity faced by civilians and foreigners in many regions.
The advisory warns that violent attacks could occur with little or no warning in public places such as markets, hotels, places of worship, schools, and transportation hubs.
Nigerian authorities have yet to issue a formal response to the latest warning. In the past, officials have criticised such advisories for unfairly tarnishing the country’s image and potentially harming diaspora travel, international conferences, and foreign investment at a time when Nigeria is seeking economic recovery.
The development comes amid a fresh surge in deadly attacks in parts of the country, raising renewed concerns about the effectiveness of ongoing counter-insurgency operations against groups such as Boko Haram and ISWAP, as well as banditry and communal violence in other regions.
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – The Ghana Embassy in Ethiopia and Permanent Mission to the African Union and UNECA has officially launched “Ghana Month,” a major cultural and diplomatic initiative aimed at deepening ties between Ghana and Ethiopia while showcasing Ghana’s rich heritage across Africa.
The celebration, running throughout May 2026 at Kuriftu Village in partnership with Kuriftu Resorts, will feature cultural performances, creative exhibitions, music, fashion, culinary experiences, and entrepreneurial showcases. It is expected to attract diplomats, business leaders, tourists, and the Ethiopian public.
Counsellor Ms Grace Maakinyi Mbiba, in her opening remarks, described the initiative as “an opportunity to showcase the diversity of Ghana’s heritage and the dynamism of its creative and entrepreneurial sectors.”
Ambassador Dr Robert Afriyie commended Kuriftu Resorts for the collaboration, calling it a true embodiment of Pan-Africanism. He noted that the event aligns with Ghana’s broader vision of using tourism, culture, music, fashion, and history to promote continental unity and economic cooperation.
The Ambassador highlighted the growing bilateral relationship between Ghana and Ethiopia and positioned the month-long celebration as a practical platform to leverage the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) through cultural exchange and people-to-people connections.
The initiative is expected to boost tourism, trade, and mutual understanding between the two nations.
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