Nosakhare Agbonigiarhouyi
Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has said that the Museum of West African Arts (MOWAA), Edo, is pivotal to the diversification of the state’s economy.
He made this statement on Thursday June 1, 2023, during an inspection tour of the ongoing construction of the Museum of West African Arts pavilion, located in the state capital, Benin City.
In his remarks, the Governor, who expressed satisfaction with the level of work done so far, said that a lot of thought and work has gone into the project to help understand the rich history and culture of Edo State through various media and schemes like archaeology.
Obaseki said: “This is perhaps the most transformational project our government would be involved in. I am so glad that we have found partners, both local and international partners, who believe in this project and have contributed immensely to making sure that this project sees the light of day.”
Speaking on the economic importance of the project to the state, Obaseki remarked: “We believe that this is core to our goal of making Edo a tourism hub, and ensuring we are able to troop in a lot of people and a lot of economic benefits into this state.
“It is core to the diversification of our economy because we cannot continue to rely on Abuja for revenue for our existence or to run our state. We are beginning to develop and build the foundations for a much more resilient economy for this state. This is what this project represents”.
A captivating sight of the inspection was the hands-on training given to secondary students who were taught how to preserve and conserve materials to curate the existence of Edo people; to see how they lived in the past, and how that has transformed through generations.
Stakeholders present during the inspection tour include members of the Bronze Casters Guild, members of the Wood Carvers Guild, and members of the tourism industry, as well as excursion experts.
