The Museum of West African Art (Mowaa) and the row over Nigeria's Benin Bronzes

Nigeria’s stunning new Museum of West African Art (Mowaa) finds itself in the crosshairs of local power politics.

Watch LiveBritish Broadcasting CorporationHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveDocumentariesHomeNewsIsrael-Gaza WarWar in UkraineUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC InDepthBBC VerifySportBusinessExecutive LoungeTechnology of BusinessFuture of BusinessInnovationWatch DocumentariesTechnologyScience & HealthArtificial IntelligenceAI v the MindCultureWatch DocumentariesFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsArtsArts in MotionTravelWatch DocumentariesDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListTo the Ends of The Earth EarthWatch DocumentariesNatural WondersWeather & ScienceClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingAudioPodcast CategoriesRadioAudio FAQsVideoWatch DocumentariesBBC MaestroLiveLive NewsLive SportDocumentariesHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveDocumentariesWeatherNewslettersWatch LiveThe fallout from Nigeria's spectacular $25m museum and the Benin Bronzes15 hours agoShareSaveTodah OpeyemiBBC Africa, Benin CityShareSaveAFP/Getty ImagesGuests and dignitaries looked on as protesters stormed the Museum of West African Art in Benin City on SundayNigeria's stunning new Museum of West African Art (Mowaa) has found itself in the crosshairs of local power politics in the week it was supposed to - but failed - to open its doors to the public for the first time.

The six-hectare (15-acre) campus sits in the heart of Benin City, capital of the southern state of Edo - and includes an archaeological dig and buildings designed by high-profile British-Ghanaian architect Sir David Adjaye, best known for the National Museum of African American History and Culture that opened in Washington in 2016.

It has been five years in the making - and is envisioned to celebrate both the past and the present in the region famous for the Benin Bronzes, artworks looted from the city's royal palace by British soldiers in the 19th Century.

It is impressive - and ahead of the planned opening, Mowaa was buzzing with staff determined to prove it is a place that can rival established museums and galleries in the West.

Inside conservators carefully unwrapped artworks from protective packaging, inspecting each piece and taking meticulous records before positioning them on walls and plinths.