The highly anticipated opening of the Museum of West AfricanArt (MOWAA) was thrown into chaos after protesters invaded the premises,forcing the evacuation of international guests and the cancellation of allpreview events. The multi-million dollar state-of-the-art cultural hub inEdo was conceived partly as a future home for the renowned Benin bronzes —priceless artefacts looted by British soldiers in the 19th century. However, a bitter dispute over who should control thesoon-to-be-returned treasures appeared to be at the heart of the protest. What was planned as an exclusive preview for investors,artists, and international dignitaries quickly devolved into turmoil. A group of protesters breached the heavily secured groundson Sunday, chanting war songs and demanding that the institution be named the“Benin Royal Museum” instead.As a proud Benin man, I felt embarrassed today at the conduct of some allegedly sponsored thugs who invade MOWAA threatening foreign nationals.How backward do we want our state to be?Here is gist 👇@instablog9ja @yabaleftonline @Naija_PR 1/ pic.twitter.com/uV6BwqFm6e— DØÇTÖR CRUÏS£ (@ThatCruiseMedic) November 9, 2025 Mowaa is a scam obaseki plans to quickly open the museum before d suppose date was stop by Edo youths the white people who came were calmly order out from the museum... The Oba word is final no opening till investigation is done. Oba ghator kpere ise!!! pic.twitter.com/XZLLUDI52e— Owen Jesse 27 (@Uyioghosa_27) November 9, 2025 Youths in Benin, Edo State, protested and stormed the MOWAA premises this afternoon, destrøying properties and instructing foreign guests and investors to vacate the location. pic.twitter.com/FBc5ABZWv2— CHUKS 🍥 (@ChuksEricE) November 9, 2025 Una say we nor go fit do anything say Mowaa go open abi , we go see who really get that Benin last last pic.twitter.com/vOTdG64pnG— Edogun (@Edogun254) November 9, 2025Videos from the scene showed the group insulting foreignjournalists, diplomats, and tourists, ordering them to leave the premises. In a statement released after the incident, MOWAA confirmedthat all guests were safely escorted to secure locations. The museum also announced the immediate cancellation of afollow-up preview event scheduled for Monday and the grand opening planned forTuesday. The museum positioned itself as an independent actor caughtin a crossfire of local politics. MOWAA also expressed regret to the affected guests, whilestating that it is working with local authorities to address the situation. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Museum of West African Art (MOWAA) (@mowaaofficial)“Earlier today, a protest took place on the MOWAA campus inBenin City,” the statement reads. “The demonstration appeared to stem from disputes betweenthe previous and current state administrations. While MOWAA was mentioned inthe wider context of these grievances-alongside other development projects-wewish to emphasise that MOWAA is an independent, non-profit institution, ofwhich the former governor has no interest financial or otherwise. “As a precaution, all guests were safely escorted to securelocations and supported in continuing their travels to hotels, airports, orother destinations in the city. The safety and well-being of our staff,visitors, and partners remains our highest priority. We are working closelywith local authorities to address the situation. “We are deeply grateful to all our guests-many of whomtravelled long distances to be here for their understanding, patience, andresilience. We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience this situation mayhave caused, including interruptions to travel plans or scheduled visits. “Your commitment to being with us means a great deal, and weregret that your experience today was disrupted. “There will be no preview events on Monday, 10 November andTuesday, 11 November.” FEDERAL GOVERNMENT REACTS The federal ministry of art, culture, tourism and thecreative economy, in a statement, expressed “deep concern” over the growingcrisis at MOWAA, adding that it is closely monitoring the volatile situation atthe Benin City institution. The ministry described the incident as a “national issue,”emphasising that cultural institutions like MOWAA are vital “custodians ofNigeria’s history, identity and collective memory”. The statement warned that the disruption “not only endangersa treasured cultural asset but also threatens the peaceful environmentnecessary for cultural exchange”. Hannatu Musawa, the minister of art, culture, tourism andcreative economy, disclosed that she has officially briefed the presidency onthe matter. Statement from the Honourable Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Barr. Hannatu Musa Musawa, on the Disturbance at the Museum of West African Art (MOWAA), Benin City#mowaa #benincity pic.twitter.com/YUumyHSLUB— FMACTCE_Nigeria (@Fmactce_Nigeria) November 9, 2025“We are in active consultation with the Edo StateGovernment, security agencies and all relevant stakeholder
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