Obaseki launches digital museum with online repository of Benin artefacts

Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, yesterday, described Digital Benin website as a platform with the largest collection of Benin artifact. Obaseki said this during the launch of Digital Benin, which is part of the events marking Alaghodaro 2022 Summit at Sir Victor Uwaifo Creative Hub, Airport Road, in Benin.

“We suggested having a catalogue of all Benin artwork scattered around the world a while back. Today, I am so glad and fulfilled that five years on, we now have the digital record of 5,246 pieces of Benin and Edo artworks in 131 locations across the globe. This is a feat to be proud of.

“Digital Benin is now the largest Museum in the world for Benin collections. It’s a virtual Museum, which will tell you anything you need to know about Benin history and future. Go to the website and every piece of Benin artwork located anywhere in the world can be seen. You can see the artworks, the meaning and the locations.

“This is a significant milestone we have achieved. This project is very significant to the people of the kingdom. We thank Prof. Gregory Akenzua and members of the Benin Dialogue Group, who, over the last two decades, have kept on the pressure and the dialogue on how to restitute and return the artworks taken away after the invasion of 1897.”

The governor said the state government was ready to continue to work with partners for continuation and sustainability of the Digital Benin website, noting: “We have designed a new cultural district for Edo State. Edo and Benin City is the natural cultural capital of West Africa. Within this cultural district, we would have a minimum of three museums and we already have one, which will be upgraded.”

In his address, Commissioner for Arts, Culture, Tourism and Diaspora Affairs, Bamidele Obaitan, thanked Obaseki, for his visionary leadership. He noted that the launch of Digital Benin provided an opportunity to share with the people the remarkable progress made by the administration of Obaseki in the arts and culture space.

“This project is a platform for people to know more about the rich cultural heritage of the Benin people and its artifacts scattered around the world.”

The Director, Museum am Rothenbanm Kulturer and Kunste der Welt-MARKK, Prof. Dr. Barbara Plankensteiner, commended Obaseki and the Oba of Benin for working hard to recover the stolen Benin artifacts scattered around the globe.

MEANWHILE, students from Edo Basic Education Sector Transformation (EdoBEST) programme schools were the cynosure of all eyes as they dazzled local and international investors with their presentation at the closing ceremony of the Alagodaro summit.

The all-female student performers, drawn from secondary schools, presented a spoken-word rendered with the title, ‘Alaghodaro!’, in which they spoke about how some landmark projects of the Obaseki administration is transforming Edo, while encouraging the investors to invest in the state.

In the 15-minutes-long rendition, the students spoke glowingly about investment opportunities in Edo State as well as drawing attention to Edo State Oil Palm Programme (ESOPP), the Ossiomo Power Company, the EdoBEST programme, Edo Innovation and Victor Uwaifo Creative Hubs, all of which were put in place by the Obaseki-led administration.