Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki has explained the building and development of cultural district he budgeted huge amount of money for in the 2023 budget.

Godwin Obaseki in a statement personally issued on Monday said the Cultural District will house the much talked about Benin Royal Museum, the relocation of the National Museum in Benin and the controversial Edo Museum of West Africa Arts, EMOWAA.

“Horniman Museum, in London, recently transferred ownership of 72 artifacts in its collection to Nigeria, becoming one of the few museums in the United Kingdom to make the milestone move.

We are intensifying efforts to secure the return of more of our bronze works even as a cultural district is being developed in the state capital to explore the tourism potentials of the returned artifacts and other cultural assets in the state.

“The Benin Cultural District is expected to have at least three museums: the Benin Royal Museum, the National Museum, Benin City and the Edo Museum of West African Arts (EMOWAA).

“The cultural district will also house an arts pavilion, research centres, art spaces, shopping malls and entertainment centres, among others”, Obaseki said.

It would be recalled that Governor Godwin Obaseki while presenting the draft Edo State 2023 Budget before the state House of Assembly, earmarked three billion naira for the construction and development of Cultural District.

According to the Budget estimate, the Benin Royal Museum, BRM, will gulp the sum of 2 billion naira while other infrastructures for the Cultural District will take the remaining one billion naira.