The Special Committee on the Museum of West African Art (MOWAA), headed by former Edo State Governor and Senator Adams Aliu Oshiomhole, has submitted its report on the ownership, funding and status of the controversial museum project to Governor Monday Okpebholo.
The committee, which was constituted to investigate and establish the ownership status of the facility, presented its findings to the governor on Thursday, August 20, 2026.
Presenting the report, Oshiomhole said the Edo State Government under the administration of former Governor Godwin Obaseki spent a total of N3.8 billion in public funds on the project.
According to him, the project was originally conceived as a Royal Museum to house the Benin artefacts expected to be returned from overseas following sustained campaigns by the Oba of Benin for the restitution of the stolen artefacts.
Oshiomhole said the Obaseki administration initially agreed to provide funding for the construction of the Benin Royal Museum at a site provided by the Oba of Benin, but subsequently demolished the Central Hospital and changed the proposed museum’s name to the Edo Museum of West African Art (EMOWA), before it was later changed to the Museum of West African Art (MOWAA).
He said the Edo State Government initially provided N800 million as seed funding, while other donations were subsequently received from development partners and private donors.
He listed the German Government’s contribution as four million euros and the Leventis Foundation’s donation as $1.5 million, among others.
The committee chairman further alleged that five days before the end of the Obaseki administration, another N1 billion was approved and released for the project, bringing the total expenditure by the Edo State Government to N3.8 billion.
Oshiomhole said the committee’s investigation also examined claims by MOWAA management that more than $18 million had been received and spent on land acquisition and archaeological excavation.
He said the committee found the claims to be unsubstantiated.
Based on its findings, the committee recommended that the existing facility should not be demolished, but should instead be retained and given a name that properly reflects its ownership and historical significance.
It recommended that the facility be renamed Benin Royal Museum of African Art.
The committee also recommended that the museum be returned to the Oba of Benin for management, arguing that the traditional institution would provide continuity and help protect the artefacts and cultural heritage associated with the Benin Kingdom.
Oshiomhole said the proposed arrangement would also make it possible to attract artefacts from different parts of the world and strengthen the museum’s international relevance.
Receiving the report, Governor Monday Okpebholo commended the committee for what he described as an excellent and comprehensive job.
Okpebholo said the report demonstrated fairness, seriousness and commitment to uncovering the facts surrounding the museum project.
The governor said he would constitute another committee to facilitate the preparation of a White Paper on the report, in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice, so that the recommendations could be properly translated into government policy.
He also recalled a video in which former Governor Obaseki had reportedly spoken about building a Royal Museum to celebrate the Oba of Benin, saying the subsequent change to MOWAA required further clarification.
Okpebholo expressed appreciation to Oshiomhole and members of the committee, adding that their work would contribute to preserving the legacy of the Benin Kingdom.
In attendance at the presentation were the Deputy Governor, Rt. Hon. Dennis Idahosa; Secretary to the State Government, Umar Musa Ikhilor; Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Prof. Roland Otaru; and other senior government officials.
