Benin City Turns the Oba’s Tenth Anniversary Into a Months-Long Festival of Heritage
Benin City is marking the 10th coronation anniversary of the Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II, with a celebration that began on 4 October and runs until 21 November, the News Agency of Nigeria reported. Lucky Imasuen, former Edo State deputy governor and chairman of the anniversary committee, announced the programme at the Oba Akenzua Cultural Centre. He credited the Oba’s decade on the throne with peace, economic growth and security.
An art exhibition curated by Omorogbe Osakpolor and Babatunde Adeyanju features photography, sculpture and painting by artists from the Benin Kingdom, and is open to the public. A food festival offers traditional Edo dishes including Akedi, Black Soup and Akara. Beneficiaries of skills centres trained in hairdressing, weaving, tailoring, mechanics and phone repair are also showing their work.
Musical performances, football matches, traditional wrestling and the official opening of a festival hall are still to come. “This is just the beginning of the fun, with many activities lined up,” Imasuen said.
Source: nannews.ng
