The management of the Museum of West African Art (MOWAA), at the weekend hinted that it would be establishing a world-class museum in Benin City, Edo State capital, in a bid to support conservation efforts of the Federal Government.
When completed, the MOWAA management added that the museum would not only upgrade conservation efforts in the country, but would also create numerous employment opportunities for the people and enhance the values attached to work of arts in Benin City in particular and the country in general.
Disclosing this in Benin on Saturday at the end of its three-day First Open Day programme, Ms. Ore Disu, Speaking to journalists in Benin City yesterday after tDirector of MOWAA Pavilion, said the first building in the Museum’s site in Benin City which is the pavilion would be dedicated to “research and conservation in Benin City.”
According to her, the Open Day “provided informative tours of the future Pavilion centre and educated visitors on the benefits it will offer the city in terms of investment, jobs and educational opportunities.
“The diverse turnout included other NGOs, students, artists, artisans, community groups and curious residents. Representatives from the National Commission of Museum and Monuments (NCMM), the Archaeological Association of Nigeria, the International Council of Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), and the Universities of Benin and Ibadan were also in attendance.”
She said the pavilion when completed would host state-of-the-art storage facilities, and the best equipped labs for conservation, digital production, archaeology and applied material science in West Africa adding that it would also provide “year-round professional training, internships and outreach activities to sustainably grow relevant skills for heritage and creative economies.
“We are thrilled to open our doors to the community. 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,” She stated.
On his part, the Director of MOWAA Trust, Philip Ihenacho, said they were already being approached by organisations in West Africa about potential collaborations.
“We are very proud about the work we are doing it is a first facility that will be dedicated to research and conservation for West African arts and artifacts including modern, contemporary and ancient and the foundations have been laid and we are on course to complete the building around the middle of next year.”
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