Listen. We weren’t ready.
The Museum of West African Art (MOWAA) in Benin City just gave us a first-ever peek inside its newly completed building, and it’s giving: premium, “don’t touch the wall”, “take your shoes off at the door” energy. This museum is set to be the elevate Nigeria and put us on the front of the global arts & culture scene.
The MOWAA Institute is 4,500 square metres of architectural finesse – rammed-earth walls, calm lighting, labs that look like movie sets, and storage rooms that could pass for NASA archives. It’s one of the most beautiful cultural spaces Nigeria has ever built.
“This is a place for West African creatives to dream big,” says Director Phillip Ihenacho. “It’s for artists, researchers, young people, for all of us.”
What you’ll experience when it opens
Even though the Nigeria Imaginary: Homecoming exhibition is paused for now, the preview showed:
- gallery spaces that feel like walking inside a sculpture
- quiet courtyards for thinking deep thoughts
- futuristic conservation labs
- vibes that scream “soft life for culture”
Consider this your official tease.
And about that November 9 protest…
People thought MOWAA was being officially commissioned. It wasn’t. Politics got involved.
Actual facts:
- MOWAA isn’t owned by politicians
- No Bronzes are inside
Bottom line:
Nigeria just built something iconic. And when it opens, you’ll want to be there.
