The 60th International Art Exhibition (Biennale Arte), organised by La Biennale di Venezia in Italy, will be held from April 16 to 18, 2024. The Nigerian Federal Government has nominated the Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, to lead the delegation to Italy. The government chose Obaseki due to his transformative work in the state’s arts and culture sector. The government, however, released a letter about their choice of head.
The letter reads, “We would like to propose the Edo State Government as the Commissioner for the Nigerian Pavilion and would like to respectfully put forward Governor Godwin Obaseki from the Edo State Government to be the Commissioner of the Nigerian Pavilion at the Biennale Arte 2024. Edo State and its capital city, Benin City, have been a main cultural hub in Nigeria for centuries, and Governor Obaseki has a strong desire to support arts and culture. In support of this centuries-old arts and culture tradition, the government of Edo State is planning to develop a cultural district in the centre of Benin City. The Cultural Hub aims to encompass a vast area of land, accommodating both new and existing structures like the National Museum in Benin City. The development of the Cultural District is intended to expand the cultural and creative industries to attract tourists to the country.”
The FG further noted, “This giant move is in tandem with the Federal Government’s quest to revitalise the cultural sector as the main revenue generator for the country. These plans are also being supported by other stakeholders and partners.”
In a bid to promote the federal government’s goal of facilitating cooperation between Nigeria and the Italian government. As stated by the organisers, the partnership will advance opportunities in the agricultural sector, facilitate cooperation in technical and vocational training, bolster information technology capabilities, stimulate tourism, expand economic prospects in the textile industry, and foster social and cultural ties between the two nations.
By Chidimma NWAFOR
