MOWAA vs Flyover: Contrasting Edo’s Global Museum and Photo-Op Development
I want to highlight the stark contrast between two visions of development in Edo State. First, the Edo Museum of West African Art (MOWAA) began in 2018 as a ₦500 million project to house repatriated Benin artefacts. Under Governor Obaseki, the state enlisted architect David Adjaye and secured partnerships with the British Museum, German government and major foundations. The campus is fully built and set to open in November 2025. Then, Governor Okpebholo revoked the museum’s land title in October 2025, locked up the site amid ownership disputes and left it closed for eight months. Instead of resolving the standoff, his administration has promoted a road flyover in Ramat Park as a “tourist attraction,” even staging a viral school excursion to view an unfinished bridge. These two projects show a clear divide: one builds a world-class cultural institution, the other turns a driveway into a heritage photo-op.
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