The Benin Royal Museum, a project being developed by the Edo State government in collaboration with the Benin Dialogue Group, the Benin Royal Court, top museums in Europe, among other stakeholders, is set to raise $100 million for the iconic project which would hold restituted Benin artefacts.
A representative of Benin artists in the Benin Dialogue Group, Enotie Ogbebor, who disclosed this in a chat with journalists, said the project is the greatest advancement made since the call for restitution of Benin artefacts in the history of Nigeria.
He said stakeholders on the project have set a target to raise $100 million for the project which includes the building of a world-class museum and urban regeneration work to reclaim the Benin Moat.
He said it was impressive that Governor Godwin Obaseki is leading the charge on the project.
“The governor wants anything we design and build to be ranked world-class so that people can fly in from different parts of the world to see what we have here. The building has to be art before its functionality as a museum,” Ogbebor said.
He said the stakeholders on the project have commissioned David Adjaye, a renowned architect and contemporary thinker, to design the museum, noting that an ensemble of experts has been lined up to lead the project.
“Sir Adjaye designed the Smithsonian Museum in Washington DC, United States of America. He has designed some of the most iconic museums across the world. For financing, the governor recruited Philip Iheanacho as one of the fundraisers. He raised the funds for the Edo Azura Power Plant,” Ogbebor said.
“The project would cost about $100 million. This is not only for the building. There is a plan for a large-scale urban regeneration project. There are plans to reclaim the moat. It is our heritage. We plan to have a walkway going around the moat so that tourists can see how deep it is.
“They can follow the circuit and along the path, you can have a walk to all the landmarks in the city. This will take you to Ibiwe, Oba Market (Emotan), Igbesanmwan and other places. It is a huge project, like an ice-berg; 99 percent of it is underwater and only 1 percent is up for you to see for now,” he said.
