Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo has said that the stolen Benin artefacts recently returned to the state would boost its tourism potential.

“The artefacts will bring back our status as the tourism hub of the country,” Mr Obaseki told journalists on Sunday in Abuja.

According to him, the returned artefacts are “still within the federal realm, while the state is facilitating the storage infrastructure for the relics.”

He said his administration had invested much in infrastructure development and facilities for the storage, research and preservation of cultural artefacts.

“The building of the infrastructure will not only help preserve Edo’s cultural heritage but also provide a safe and proper environment for exhibiting these delicate artefacts.

“These measures are put in place so that when these artworks eventually come into the state, we will have a safe place where they can be properly stored.

“As you know, many of them are very old and fragile and need to be specially handled.

“That is why the Edo government has to invest in infrastructure for proper storage of these artworks.

“We have also collaborated with experts and investors to build the infrastructure so that when the artefacts come, the state can professionally handle them,’’ he said.

According to the governor, the tourism potential of the artefacts and relics will strategically position the state as a tourism hub for both local and international visitors.

“As we speak, part of the strategy for developing Edo is the strategic plan to make the state a tourist hub for Nigerians and foreigners, given its natural beauty and strategic location.

“Edo, by its nature and location, is a tourist place where you cannot move from the west of the country to the east and the south-south without passing through.

“The government is also going to create facilities to showcase the beauty of Edo, its culture, food, arts, and history that will attract visitors and promote economic growth.

“The world is tilting towards tourism as an income-generating sector, and Edo is poised to tap into that,” Mr Obaseki said.

In December 2022, Germany returned 22 artefacts looted during the 1897 Benin invasion.

Former President Muhammadu Buhari, in his respect for the Benin Kingdom, told the German government that the artefacts would be returned to the traditional ruler and not to the Nigerian state, as Germany had expected.

Mr Buhari named the Oba of Benin as the recipient of the items.

The traditional ruler is a descendant of the sovereign chief, who reigned over the Kingdom of Benin when the British looted the bronzes at the end of the 19th century.

(NAN)