Looking Forward: 2026 with the Museum of West African Art

As we enter a new chapter, we’re reminded that establishing a museum is never just about the construction of buildings, displays or programmes. It’s about people: the communities who shape it, the partners who believe in it, and the shared commitment to imagining cultural futures that are grounded, ambitious, and accountable. As we begin 2026, we do so with candid acknowledgement that this moment brings with it a need for reflection and dialogue, and a commitment to continue our work with care, patience, and purpose. 

The incident at the November preview event last year was a difficult and sobering moment for the institution, our friends, artists, and communities who have worked with us over the last few years. The events surrounding our preview reminded us that cultural work, wherever it may be, is deeply entangled with history, politics, and civic responsibility. Heritage has always been as complex as it is nuanced, and we acknowledge that its capacity for contestation is not unique to MOWAA. This period requires honesty about the present complexities and uncertainties, as well as a willingness to engage thoughtfully rather than rush toward perceived solutions.

While we respectfully strive in this regard, engaging in dialogue with key stakeholders in Benin City and Abuja, we recognise our ongoing duty of care to our team, exhibiting artists, and the cultural repositories presently at the MOWAA Institute – this is central to our ethos. Whilst the MOWAA Institute remains operational, public access remains limited to appointment-only visits during this sensitive period. 

To foster open and honest dialogue about our experiences of museum-making, we will host and collaborate with others to create Listening Sessions across cities and spaces in Nigeria, West Africa and the African Diaspora. Conceived as physical and virtual spaces for candid reflection, these sessions invite a broad range of voices into dialogue—from emerging and established artists to heritage practitioners, and from committed art enthusiasts to those who may never have visited a gallery or museum. Our aim is to build from previous workshops and focus sessions, and to learn from these diverse perspectives as we consider how cultural institutions can be grounded, responsive, and accountable to their publics. Taking place from March through May, these Listening Sessions will combine in-person workshops and conversations with accessible online engagement. We look forward to sharing more information, including how to participate, very soon. 

As we listen and learn from a range of stakeholders, we will continue to advance some of our research and preservation initiatives on the continent. This year, with the support of the Ford Foundation, we are working towards activating and making digitally available the DRUM West Africa Archives. Developed in partnership with Baileys African History Archives (South Africa), as well as an ongoing collaboration with the National Gallery of Art (Nigeria), we also aim to stabilise up to 30 seminal works by distinguished modernist artists including Ben Enwonwu, Erabhor Emokpae, Clara Etso Ugbodaga-Ngu, and Bruce Onobrakpeya. Supported by the A.G. Leventis Foundation and the Gerda Henkel Foundation, we are also strengthening research and training capacity in the Materials and Conservation laboratories at the MOWAA Institute to support the development of home-grown scientists and conservators, and grow capacity to execute heritage-related research and preservation work in West Africa. The design and delivery of these initiatives will be informed by insights from our Listening Sessions, building on inclusive practices and centring African leadership in the preservation of its culture. 

This recent period has been one of learning, unlearning, and realignment. In this evolutionary phase, we remain grateful to our partners, supporters, and community for their patience and continued belief in the long-term vision of MOWAA. Spurred onward by the continued support from artistic and heritage professional communities, technical partners, individual and institutional donors, we hope that our work will continue to grow in depth and relevance, enabling new research and the activation of projects across our programmes. 

Rather than attempting to rebut every misconception or answer every concern with additional statements, we believe that by listening carefully to those we exist to serve, and by focusing relentlessly on impact, our actions will speak most clearly to our mission and to the sincerity of our purpose. We look ahead with resolve – aware that the path forward may involve periods of uncertainty, but confident in the values, relationships, and purpose that sustain MOWAA.   

Phillip Ihenacho 

Director 

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For enquiries, please contact press@wearemowaa.org.