From Tony Osauzo, Benin
Management of The Museum of West African Art (MOWAA) explained at the weekend that it chose Nigeria and Edo State to build the museum to upgrade conservation efforts in the country and ensure that surviving remains of artworks are protected and to generate jobs and employment opportunities for the people.
Director of MOWAA Pavilion, Ore District, disclosed this while speaking to journalists in Benin City after the organisation’s first open day. She 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.”
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.
Besides, District stated that it would also provide “year-round professional training, internships and outreach activities to sustainably grow relevant skills for heritage and creative economies.”
She said 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.
“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 said.
