The Edo State government has launched Digital Benin, a digital museum documenting some of the history of the great Benin kingdom and its artifacts.
The government of the state took to Twitter to announce the news, tagging it “a good story.” Launched by the state governor, Godwin Obaseki on Monday, the 13th of November at Alaghodaro* The Edo Summit, Digital Benin is a virtual Museum of videos, pictures and other content that teach the Benin history and paint its future. The museum is said to be the largest in the world for Benin collections.
“We suggested having a catalog of all Benin artwork scattered around the world a while back. Today, I am so glad and fulfilled that five years on, we now have the digital records of 5,246 pieces of Benin and Edo artworks in 131 locations across the globe. This is a feat to be proud of,” Obaseki said.
On the Digital Benin website, just about every piece of Benin artwork located anywhere in the world can be seen. The artworks, their meaning and the locations are also listed.
While debates about the British empire returning stolen Benin artifacts or holding on to them remain rife, Obaseki admits that the digital museum has been in the works for years. “We thank Prof. Gregory Akenzua and members of the Benin Dialog Group who, over the last two decades, have kept on the pressure and the dialogue on how to restitute and return the artworks taken away after the invasion of 1897.”
“I met the Benin Dialog Group having this debate and discussion for the last 18 years and later joined them to ensure we achieve the aims of the group. We joined the group in 2017, and in 2018, we went outside the country to join the conversation and address the issues confronting the return of the art work.”
He continues, “the invasion of the Kingdom destroyed our history which was unbroken for 1,000 years. It suddenly got broken and it’s taken us over a century to begin to understand our place in the world. For more than 100 years, our artworks have been with strangers who do not understand the import, significance and importance of these works.”
Obaseki said that the future is about technology and Digital Benin rests on a technology platform. “Go to the website and every piece of Benin artwork located anywhere in the world can be seen. You can see the artworks, the meaning and the locations,” he adds.
At the summit, Obaseki launched an Edo State residency card which would scale in its use for residents, students and other users of governments services in the state.
Meanwhile, the state was awarded 1st for best in digital marketing arts at the just concluded National Festival of Arts and Culture (NAFEST) 2022 held in Lagos.
*Alaghodaro is Bíní for Progress.
