The Edo State Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki, has unveiled plans for the Benin City Cultural District, which will house the Edo Museum of West African Arts.
Obaseki disclosed this at the 2021 National Commission for Museums and Monuments Retreat for management staff and curators held in Benin, Edo State.
According to the governor, an international town planning group is in the state undertaking urban and regional planning of Edo to redesign Benin City.
He said, “In this plan, we have included the carving out of a large area as a Cultural District and the Museum will be located in the Cultural District. If we host 5,000 visitors every year as a result of the attraction to the Museum, the state will benefit from it.
“We are already working on this and have put up an Urban renewal plan for this purpose,” he said.He added, “EMOWAA will be part of the national museum complex and the home for the comprehensive display of the Benin Art collection across the world. The artworks are global works and represent Africa, Nigeria and Edo globally; we should not lose them. We insist on the return of these artefacts to their original home, Benin City.” (Punch)