The Edo Museum of West African Arts (EMOWAA) is another innovative product from Governor Godwin Obaseki-led administration in Edo State, which seeks to integrate the Edo economy with the global $35 billion museums tourism market, a segment of the global tourism industry.
According to Future Market Insights, the global museums tourism market was estimated at $20 billion in 2022, and it is projected to grow at a compounded annual growth rate of 13 percent to $35 billion in 2032.
It is the prospect that this project holds that made the German government to partner the Edo State government towards the completion of the project.
A few days ago, Claudia Roth, German minister of state for culture and media (BKM), was in Benin City, where she was conducted round the ancient city, which culminated in the inspection of the construction site of EMOWAA.
It should be recalled that the German government recently returned 22 artefacts looted from the ancient Benin Kingdom. The artefacts had stayed in Germany for 125 years before they were returned to Nigeria. The German government promised to return more artefacts to the country, hoping that such a gesture will make Nigeria, particularly Benin City, the cultural hub of Africa.
While conducting Claudia Roth round EMOWAA site, Governor Obaseki said it was the state government’s intervention that facilitated the return of the looted artefacts.
He said: “We are glad that we have been able to serve as a catalyst to make this happen. A few years before I came into office, the discussion was on but we realized it was not going to go anywhere until the Edo State Government stepped in and it was the intervention of the state government that facilitated the return of these works and the increased conversations about the returns.
“This conversation about restitution and return of these works has been going on for almost two years. It is part of our dealing to first return these artefacts to where they belong but more importantly, whether they are all returned or not, what is most important is the ownership, that these work don’t belong to the people who are currently holding them, but to Edo people and as part of Nigeria, they should come back to Nigeria.
“They are partially contributing to fund the EMOWAA project. EMOWAA, a charitable trust, is raising funds internationally and openly to help us preserve our heritage; it is not a money making venture. Nobody is making money from it, rather people are going out, spending their energy, resources and connections to try and put Edo before the world and make Edo attractive for people who globally are concerned with preservation of heritage,” the governor said.
Why Germany is interested
Ancient Benin Kingdom’s artefacts of about 5,000 were looted to the United Kingdom during the late 19 Century. German collectors purchased about 1,100 artefacts from the collections. The change of approach now, which prompted some European countries to start returning looted artefacts, is to right the wrong meted out to Africans, especially the Binis during the dark colonial era.
“Today, we are here to return the Benin Bronzes to where they belong, to the people of Nigeria,” Annalena Baerbock, German Foreign Minister, said in Abuja during the official handover, adding that the German Government only wanted to right a wrong.
What is special about EMOWAA?
Another nomenclature for EMOWAA is Benin heritage revisited, its future reimagined. EMOWAA, according to the Edo State Government, seeks to be “a hub for contemporary creatives in Africa and equip a new generation of Africans to be leaders in heritage management ”that aims “to create a world-class museum, research and education centre – connecting West Africa’s ancient heritage to its thriving contemporary arts and culture.”
EMOWAA projects include Benin moats, digital lab, heritage, pavilion, and museums.
Benin City flourished during the 13th-19th Century and was the principal city of Bini Kingdom in the pre-colonial era. It was an urban centre in sub-Saharan Africa, exerting significant influence over a large part of West African landscape in those eras. The ancient Benin City was protected by outer and inner moats, which were defensive fortification around the city.
EMOWAA’s Digital Lab will be the platform for the creative and research community to unlock the potential that digital technologies will offer in promoting heritage economy, education, and creative industries.
Heritage function of EMOWAA will allow researchers across Nigerian institutions to excavate the surroundings of Benin City to unveil buried archaeological features of Benin City.
EMOWAA is also to host a pavilion, which is designed to be the centre of field archaeology and materials research. In other words, it will be the engine room of knowledge generation and creative collaboration, providing modern facilities for archaeological research, conservation, and public programming, according to the Edo State Government.
Above all, the museum segment of EMOWAA will display “West African artworks and artefacts, past and present, while serving as a centre for curatorial excellence and contemporary creativity.”
Tourism generally contributes to economic growth through employment creation, economic empowerment, and the exposure of local skills to the global market. In Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya and South Africa are the leading countries in terms of revenue from tourism. Based on the World Bank data, Egypt earned $4.87 billion as revenue from tourism in 2020. Same year, Ethiopia realised $2.28 billion; Kenya, $1.76 billion, and South Africa, $2.72 billion.
Nigeria, which is Africa’s most populous nation and its largest economy, only made $321 million which pales into insignificance when compared with top tourism destinations in Africa.
The initiatives being implemented by the Edo State Government, with regards to EMOWAA, will not only benefit the state economy when they come into fruition, they will improve Nigeria’s revenue earning potential from tourism relative to other African countries, which are the top earners from tourism on the continent.
