The House of Representatives on Wednesday stepped into the deepening controversy surrounding the Museum of West African Art (MOWAA) in Benin City, launching a full investigation into its establishment, funding and governance structure following fears that Nigeria’s repatriated artefacts may be placed under the control of foreign and private interests.
The parliamentary action comes barely days after Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, revoked the land title earlier issued to the Museum by the Godwin Obaseki administration, citing overriding public interest and long-standing concerns from the Benin Royal Palace.
The House resolution followed the adoption of a motion of urgent national importance sponsored by Rep. Esosa Iyawe and co-sponsored by six Edo lawmakers—Julius Ihonvbere, Peter Akpatason, Billy Osawaru, Omosede Igbinedion, Marcus Onobun and Okojie Odianosen.
Leading the debate on the matter, Iyawe warned that a project conceived as a premier cultural institution must not be allowed to fall under arrangements capable of undermining national sovereignty.
He said, ‘credible reports suggest that the ownership and governance framework of MOWAA may have created an arrangement that places excessive influence in the hands of private or foreign interests. This would be contrary to Nigeria’s sovereignty over her cultural patrimony’.
The lawmaker stressed that the Museum was originally positioned as the repository for Nigeria’s fast-growing collection of repatriated Benin bronzes and should therefore operate strictly under public control.
‘The international community agreed to repatriate Benin bronzes to Nigeria with the understanding that these priceless items would be held in a public trust under Nigerian control. Anything short of that raises serious red flags’, he added.
Co-sponsor Julius Ihonvbere argued that the House must remove all doubts surrounding land allocations, governance, tax waivers and donor partnerships.
‘We cannot allow any ambiguity around ownership, land allocation, tax waivers, or foreign partnerships. Nigeria’s cultural assets cannot be traded off under the guise of development support’, he said
Omosede Igbinedion expressed further concern that traditional stakeholders were not adequately carried along.
‘The custodians of the Benin heritage deserve full transparency and involvement. Their exclusion raises legitimate concerns’, she said.
Marcus Onobun warned that unclear funding and governance structures risked enabling misuse of national heritage.
‘When funding sources and governance structures are not clear, it creates room for conflict of interest and potential exploitation of our heritage’, he stated.
The House subsequently resolved to set up an ad-hoc committee to probe MOWAA’s establishment, its funding sources, donor involvement and the governance framework under which it operates.
The panel is expected to determine the extent of government oversight and assess whether existing agreements sufficiently safeguard Nigeria’s ownership and control of its cultural assets.
Speaker Abbas Tajudeen, who presided, said the House would not compromise on the protection of Nigeria’s heritage.
‘Our heritage is non-negotiable. This investigation is necessary to ensure transparency and national interest’, he said.
The committee is to report back within four weeks.
In a dramatic twist that has escalated tensions around the museum project, Okpebholo ordered the revocation of the Right of Occupancy granted to MOWAA’s management by his predecessor, Godwin Obaseki.
The directive—contained in a statement by the governor and dated 21 October 2025—was released on Monday in Benin City.
Okpebholo said the decision was taken ‘in the overriding public interest’ pursuant to Sections 28 and 38 of the Land Use Act.
He declared that the reclaimed 6.210-hectare plot, formerly the site of the historic Benin Central Hospital demolished under the Obaseki administration, would revert to its original public healthcare use.
‘Notice is hereby given that… I… hereby revoke the Statutory Rights of Occupancy granted to Edo Museum Of West African Art Trust (EMOWAA) Ltd/GTE for overriding public interest’, the governor stated.
The revocation reverses one of the most controversial legacies of the Obaseki era, which faced intense criticism from the Benin Royal Palace and heritage advocates who opposed the demolition of the century-old hospital and questioned the role of private entities in the museum project.
The move also comes weeks after the Oba of Benin, Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Ewuare II, accused the former governor of diverting donor funds and attempting to “mortgage” the rights of Benin people through the Legacy Restoration Trust—a private body alleged to have taken over control of the project.
With both the state government and the National Assembly now scrutinising the museum’s operations, the battle over MOWAA has emerged as one of the most consequential cultural governance disputes in Nigeria’s restitution era.
