President Bola Tinubu has established a presidential committee to resolve the ongoing dispute surrounding the Museum of West African Art (MOWAA) in Benin City, Edo State. The move follows the revocation of the museum’s certificate of occupancy by Governor Monday Okpebholo and public protests linked to the demolition of the city’s Central Hospital to make way for the project.
The committee, chaired by the Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, includes representatives from the Presidency, the National Council for Arts and Culture, the Edo State Government, the Oba of Benin’s Palace, the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Culture, as well as the German and French embassies, the National Commission for Museums and Monuments, and MOWAA itself.
According to the Ministry’s Director of Press, Chindaya Ahmadu, the panel is mandated to conduct consultations, gather facts, and make recommendations that balance Nigeria’s cultural interests with international partnerships. Musawa said the intervention reflects government’s commitment to preserving the country’s cultural heritage through peaceful and lawful means.
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She described cultural institutions as vital to Nigeria’s identity and called for collaboration between traditional custodians and modern institutions.
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