Governor Okpebholo Revokes MOWAA Land Title

A new twist has emerged in the ongoing controversy on Museum of West African Art (MOWAA) as the Edo State governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has ordered the immediate revocation of the Right of Occupancy (RoO) earlier granted to the museum’s management by the former administration of Governor Godwin Obaseki.

The governor’s directive, contained in a statement personally signed and dated October 21, 2025, was made public on Monday in Benin City. The revocation, he said, was carried out “in the overriding public interest,” citing the authority vested in the governor by Sections 28 and 38 of the Land Use Decree No. 6 of 1978 (now the Land Use Act).

In the official statement titled, “Land Use Decree 1978: Revocation of Statutory Rights of Occupancy Pursuant to Sections 28 and 38,” Governor Okpebholo declared that the land previously allocated to the Edo Museum of West African Art Trust (EMOWAA) Ltd/GTE has been reclaimed by the state and would be restored to its original use as the Benin Central Hospital, a historic medical institution that has served the city for over a century.

The statement read: “Notice is hereby given that in exercise of the power conferred upon me by Section (28) 1 and 38 of the Land Use Decree No. 6 of 1978 and by virtue of all other laws enabling me on that behalf, I, Sen. Monday Okpebholo, Executive Governor of Edo State of Nigeria, hereby revoke the Statutory Rights of Occupancy granted to Edo Museum Of West African Art Trust (EMOWAA) Ltd/GTE for overriding public interest.”

Governor Okpebholo explained that the land in question, known as Digital Plot No. 61977, Zone HI/A12/Ogboka, Benin City, in Oredo Local Government Area, measures approximately 6.210 hectares and was the site of the demolished Central Hospital, cleared during Obaseki’s tenure to make way for the museum project.

He further noted that the boundaries of the property were contained in the survey attached to the Certificate of Occupancy dated November 28, 2022, registered as No. 169 at page 3 in Volume 45, and now kept in the EDOGIS Land Registry, Benin City.

The revocation marks a new twist on the reversal of the Obaseki-era decision that sparked widespread public outrage, particularly from the Benin Royal Palace and heritage advocates, who had condemned the demolition of the historic hospital and the alleged sidelining of traditional authorities in the museum project.

Governor Okpebholo’s move followed weeks of heightened controversy surrounding MOWAA, after the Oba of Benin, His Royal Majesty Oba Ewuare II, accused the former governor of diverting donor funds and altering the original plan for the Benin Royal Museum without the palace’s consent.

The Oba had described Obaseki’s actions as a betrayal of trust, alleging that the former administration sought to “mortgage” the rights of the Benin people over their ancestral artefacts through the establishment of the Legacy Restoration Trust—a private entity said to have taken control of the museum project.