The vision of the immediate past governor of Edo State, His Excellency, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, to transform Edo into an art and tourism hub is already yielding gains as the Museum of West African Arts (MOWAA), in Benin City, the Edo State capital, has been listed among global tourists destination for 2025.
The Museum of West African Art (MOWAA), a project of the Obaseki-led administration in partnership with private partners ranks as the first genuine effort to establish a world-class centre to harness the economic, social, and cultural value of Edo State’s rich heritage.
The former governor had envisioned that with the MOWAA projects and other efforts to reposition the State’s arts and cultural sector, the State would be transformed into a top tourist destination in Africa and would rank favourably with others across the globe. A vision which today has become reality with the new listing by the New York Times.
The report was published on the online version of the American daily newspaper based in New York, and dated 6th January, 2024.
In the report by the New York Times, MOWAA, in Benin City, Edo State, was highlighted among other top tourist destinations in France, Australia, Germany, Italy, Colombia, Mexico, Scotland, and Norway, among others.
Some of the tourist sites listed along MOWAA in the report include Jane Austen’s in England which ranks as number one, the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador, New York Museums, White Lotus in Thailand, Assam in India, Aix-en-Provence in France, Sydney in Australia, Coimbra in Portugal, Dolomite Mountains in Italy and Magdalena River in Colombia, amongst others.
Titled, “A cultural scene welcomes new exhibitions of traditional art,” the report described the Museum of West African Art as one of Africa’s most ambitious new exhibition spaces.
The project sited within the Benin City Cultural District is expected to host at least 10,000 visitors every year as a result of the attraction to the Museum, and other iconic buildings that deal with the different aspects of the arts and cultural life of Edo people.
According to the report, “The Museum of West African Art, one of Africa’s most ambitious new exhibition spaces, opens this year in Benin City, the heart of a former powerful kingdom and the cultural hub of the Edo people.”
The New York Times noted that “The new museum will be anchored by an exhibition center clad in traditional pounded red earth and showcasing items like ancient terra-cotta statues, bronzes dating back to the Middle Ages and intricately sculpted musical instruments from the early 20th century.”
“The space will also house a hall for local artisans and a vast gallery containing replanted rainforest flora. The institution joins a metropolitan cultural scene already noted for the Benin City National Museum, numerous art galleries, and traditional bronze and brass artisans,” it noted.
The first phase of the project, the Museum of West African Art (MOWAA) Institute was opened late last year in Benin City, to fill an urgent need in the region for training in archaeology, conservation, heritage management and museum practice.
The building, set within the ancient moats of the Benin Kingdom, comprises an auditorium, storage, a conservation lab, conference rooms, a library, exhibition space, offices and an outdoor amphitheatre.
