By Prisca Sam-Duru 

Come November 11, 2025, the Museum of West African Art (MOWAA)  will be holding its official public opening of the first phase of its campus and the Institute in Benin City, Nigeria.

This marks a significant moment in the evolution of cultural institutions on the African continent. 

As part of this landmark occasion, MOWAA also unveils the formation of its inaugural Artist Council, a dynamic body of leading contemporary African and diasporic artists committed to shaping the future of artistic expression and institutional engagement across Africa and beyond.

MOWAA will open its Campus in Benin City with its inaugural exhibition – the anticipated return of the Nigerian Pavilion from its showcase at the 60th Venice Biennale, now enriched with four new artists embedded in Nigeria’s contemporary realities: Kelani Abass (b. 1979, Abeokuta, Nigeria), Modupeola Fadugba (b. 1985, Lomé, Togo), Ngozi-Omeje Ezema (b. 1979, Enugu, Nigeria), and

Isaac Emokpae (b. 1977, Lagos, Nigeria). Tagged “Nigeria Imaginary Homecoming”, the exhibition which is curated by Aindrea Emelife, will be spread across multiple spaces on the MOWAA Campus, and will open critical possibilities for dialogue and reflections on the state and possibilities of the nation. The exhibition runs until April 11, 2026.

The MOWAA Institute spans approximately 4,500 square meters (48,000 square feet) of state-of- the-art facilities for archaeological research, conservation, and public programmes, as well as one of the largest collections storage facilities on the continent. Following a dynamic programme of preview events, including exhibition tours, talks, workshops, and neighborhood activations, the launch will celebrate MOWAA’s five-year journey, showcasing its work in both preserving the region’s cultural and artistic past, while driving new contemporary practice.

 The opening of the Institute marks the first in a constellation of buildings which will form the MOWAA Campus in the heart of Benin City, Nigeria. Further spaces will include: The Rainforest Gallery (the main exhibition space), The Art Guesthouse (boutique hotel), The Artist Studios, and The Artisans’ Hall (performance and event space).

 Situated within the emerging Benin City Cultural District, the full campus is projected to reach completion by 2028, repositioning the city as a global cultural capital.

At the core of MOWAA’s vision is a commitment to inspiring the next generation of creatives, artists, and cultural thought leaders in West Africa. The establishment of the Artist Council expands this mission beyond the museum’s walls, ensuring that the development and evolution of MOWAA’s flagship programming remains artist led. Through critical dialogue that interrogates contemporary artistic and socio-political landscapes, Council members help shape a programme rooted in collective visioning and artistic rigour.

 Council members were selected for their involvement with institutions or cultural organizations across the continent – either as founders or advisors – opening pathways for collaboration with MOWAA through joint initiatives and special projects that encourage deeper engagement and shared impact.

 Confirmed council members include:

 Yinka Shonibare CBE RA (b. 1962, London, United Kingdom), G.A.S. Foundation; Michael Armitage

(b. 1984, Nairobi, Kenya), Nairobi Contemporary Art Institute (NCAI); Victor Ehikhamenor (b. 1970,

Lagos, Nigeria), Angels C Muse and Black Muse; Nengi Omuku (b.1987, Lagos, Nigeria), TAOH Africa; Dr. Odun Orimolade (Lagos, Nigeria), YABATECH; Kaloki Nyamai (b. 1985, Kitui, Kenya), Kamene Cultural and Research Centre.

The Council reflects MOWAA’s commitment to reimagining and asserting the primacy of African and diasporic cultural production on its own terms while grounding urgent discourse in real spaces and active practice. Members will serve two-year terms, with the possibility of extension to support continuity and deeper engagement. Their role spans mentorship in education and residency programmes and advising on exhibitions and research labs to ensure alignment with real-time artistic urgencies. As ambassadors, Council members will foster two-way exchanges across Africa and globally – championing African practice abroad while bringing fresh perspectives home.

The announcement of the opening of the Institute and the establishment of the Artist Council represents a milestone in the continuing expansion of West Africa’s cultural and artistic heritage – not only in preserving the past, but towards catalyzing the future.

“Opening MOWAA during Nigeria’s art season allows us to situate this institution within a broader, ongoing conversation about art in and from Africa, and our Artist Council signals our commitment to supporting artists, thinkers, and publics in shaping how culture is produced, seen, and understood,” Phillip Ihenacho, Director, MOWAA, stated ahead of the opening.

According to the curator of Modern & Contemporary Art, MOWAA,  Aindrea Emelife, “The future of cultural practice must be written with artists, not for them. This is not a ceremonial committee; it is an engine of collective authorship. Together, we will shape a museum that listens as deeply as it speaks – where creativity becomes civic leadership, radiating possibility beyond our walls. In this spirit, bringing Nigeria Imaginary home to MOWAA is a reclamation, not a relocation.

With new artists, the Nigeria Imaginary surges forth as an urgent, generative force poised to dismantle worn paradigms, recompose histories, and script new imaginaries for the nation.”

On his part, Director, MOWAA Institute Ore Disu, stated that “Sustainable progress in the arts requires more than individual brilliance – it demands long-term institutional thinking and action. MOWAA’s Artist Council embodies this approach, bolstering artistic practice with infrastructure and ensuring that those shaping cultures help shape the systems that sustain it. MOWAA is committed to working with others to build a regenerative and interconnected creative ecosystem. Residencies, archives, and arts education can not thrive in isolation; they must be grounded in dialogue – between artistic experimentation, real world conditions, and Africa’s deep historical knowledge systems.” 

Victor Ehikhamenor, Artist Council member, commented: “Joining MOWAA’s Artist Council is both a responsibility and an honour. As artists, we are not just creators – we are custodians of memory, community, and possibility. Too often, institutions are built around art without the artist’s voice as its foundation. MOWAA is reversing that. By centring artists in its structure, it offers a bold template for how museums can evolve – not only in West Africa but globally. I look forward to contributing to a model where creativity, criticality, and care lead the way.”