A preview event at a new museum in Benin City, Nigeria, was disrupted on Sunday by demonstrators, highlighting ongoing tensions over the restitution of cultural artifacts looted during the colonial era.
Video footage circulating online showed protesters chanting in the Bini language as visitors were escorted from the Museum of West African Art (Mowaa) by security. Minor property damage was reported at the site, which was scheduled to open to the public this week.
Museum officials confirmed that demonstrators entered the building, vandalizing part of the reception area before moving toward the exhibition spaces. In a statement, the institution apologized for the disruption and advised the public against visiting the campus until further notice.
The newly opened Mowaa is a major art campus featuring conservation laboratories, galleries, and studios, designed to serve as a hub for West African art. Located in the historic capital of the ancient Benin Kingdom, the museum had been anticipated to display several of the famed Benin Bronzes—artifacts looted by British forces in 1897 and later dispersed across Western collections.
Although more than 150 original bronzes have been returned to Nigeria in recent years, a political dispute has prevented them from being exhibited at Mowaa. The current state administration, allied with the traditional ruler Oba Ewuare II, supports housing the artifacts at the royal palace, arguing they were originally taken from there.
While the specific demands of the protesters were not clearly articulated, their chants appeared to express support for the Oba and the current state government.
In response to the incident, Nigeria’s culture minister expressed concern, stating that such disruptions endanger cultural heritage and the environment needed for artistic exchange.
Reactions within Nigeria have been divided, with some voices in the art community calling for a swift resolution to avoid damaging the country’s cultural reputation. The incident underscores the complex and often contentious process of repatriating looted art, where historical justice, political rivalries, and cultural stewardship continue to collide.