The Museum of West African Art (MOWAA) in Benin City, Nigeria, has announced that it will open to the public on November 11, 2025. Although construction of the museum is still ongoing, with completion expected in 2028, select sections of the 15-acre cultural centre will be unveiled. Opening festivities will revolve around “Nigeria Imaginary Homecoming,” an exhibition curated by Aindrea Emelife and adapted from the second-ever Nigerian Pavilion at the 60th International Venice Arts Biennale.

The festival will feature multiple artists, including Kelani Abass, Modupeola Fadugba, Ngozi-Omeje Ezema, and Isaac Emokpae, and will take place across various buildings and sections of the museum until April 26, 2026.

Two days before the grand opening, MOWAA will host events such as guided city tours, workshops, and an introduction to Nigerian art and cultural history. A full programme announcement is also planned, and events will run until February 2026.

While speaking about the upcoming opening, Ore Disu, the Director of MOWAA, stated, “What’s important for us at MOWAA is to be truly embedded in building contextually relevant practices, regenerating African cities and scholarships, and using art as a catalyst for real impact. We started this work five years ago at our inception, and we are proud to continue to show that Africa can provide new ways of thinking and doing as we open our doors this November.”

Since its announcement in 2020, MOWAA’s ground-breaking plan to build a leading cultural institution marked a significant step in how Africans are diligently working to develop cultural infrastructure across the continent. Alongside MOWAA’s opening, it also announced the formation of its inaugural Artist Council — a collective of leading contemporary African and diasporic artists. The group is tasked with “influencing the future of artistic expression and deepening institutional engagement across Africa and the global art community.”

Described as “Nigeria’s answer to a modern museum,” MOWAA’s launch not only positions Africa as a global art destination, but also firmly establishes Benin City as a key hub for West African art, scholarship, and cultural preservation.

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