Nigeria gives Africa a world-class art museum

Looted art to be exhibited at the museum

The art collection will consequently present a large number of art pieces which have been returned from other museums around the world. This includes 119 Benin royal bronzes from the Dutch State Collection in the Netherlands. The return is unconditional, as the Netherlands recognised that the objects were looted during the British attack on Benin City in 1897.

The Hornemann Museum in London returned 72 Benin Bronzes while the Boston Museum of Fine Arts and the Metropolitan Museum of Art also gave back art pieces. When opening in November, part of these pieces will be visible to the public.

A view of the entrance of the new Museum of West African Art in Benin City, Nigeria. (Photo Tolulope Sanus/Courtesy MOWAA)

The museum will also present an inaugural exhibition called “Nigeria Imaginary Homecoming”. Multiple buildings on the campus will welcome the exhibition. It will run through Apr. 26, 2026 and present many contemporary Nigerian artists. Another highlight of MOWAA are the ruins of ancient Benin City. Archaeologists excavated walls, moats, and gates. They are now incorporated into the new structures.

MOWAA is likely to anchor Benin City on the tourism map to visitors with a keen interest for arts. One of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in West Africa, Benin City was the seat of a powerful kingdom renowned for its artistry, diplomatic reach, and sophisticated walled-city urban design. The town is a 3-hour- and-a-half drive from Lagos, the Nigerian capital.

Today, the city is undergoing a cultural and infrastructural revival aimed at reclaiming its role as West Africa’s cultural capital. A regenerated urban zone is emerging in the historic centre. It will help nurturing a vibrant ecosystem of creativity, scholarship, and enterprise. And turn the area into an exciting art destination on the African continent.