The Museum of West African Art (MOWAA) at the weekend expressed commitment to showcasing the rich cultural content of Nigerian and African art by upgrading conservation efforts in the country to advance African art and heritage.
Briefing newsmen on activities of the museum, as it held a three day education tour tagged, ‘first Open Day’, Director, MOWAA Pavilion, Ore Disu said MOWAA remains committed in promoting and upgrading conservation efforts in Nigeria.
She said that the event, which was held on the site of the Pavilion, had its first building dedicated to research and conservation activities in Benin City, while spotlight was placed on archaeology.
Disu said, “MOWAA hopes to upgrade conservation efforts in Nigeria, ensuring that any construction work that could damage surviving remains are properly protected and training specialists to professionalise heritage practice.”
Disu, who highlighted significance of archaeology in promoting community values and supporting local tourism, said the three-day event provided informative tours of the future pavilion centre under construction in Benin City, the Edo State capital.
According to her, the museum will offer the city benefits in terms of investment, jobs and educational opportunities.
“This Open Day is a platform to foster a deeper understanding of the importance of archaeology in preserving our cultural legacy and share some of our exciting new discoveries. We are excited to get more cultural practitioners and residents in touch with the Pavilion’s work, which is already proving to be a dynamic space for research, education, and community outreach. None of this would be possible without our local and international partners, who are as committed as we are to serve communities in Nigeria.” Disu said.
Disu added that the event notwithstanding had contributed to the education and development in Edo State.
“MOWAA has already begun delivering programmes, three of which were showcased during the Open Day. These projects are in partnership with the National Commission of Museums and Monuments, the German Archaeological Institute (DAI), the British Museum, Cambridge Archaeological Unit, Wessex Archaeology and the Open Society Foundation.
“The event also displayed ongoing outreach activities with local schools and the event showcased a series of archaeological studies carried out prior to the construction in partnership with the British Museum and in close collaboration with the National Commission of Museums and Monuments.”
Phillip Ihenacho, director of MOWAA Trust, who spoke on the future ambitions of the young, non-profit organisation, said, “we have decided to update our brand identity to emphasise our focus. So, going forward we will use the Museum of West African Art, Edo (MOWAA) to open a new chapter for our organisation. We have already been approached by organisations in West Africa about potential collaborations. In future, we hope to establish other centres of creativity and learning across Nigeria and beyond to grow our global presence.”
