Dr. Bright Enabulele, the Accord Party Candidate for Edo State gubernatorial forthcoming election, has extended his warm congratulations to the revered Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II, following the successful repatriation of two significant artefacts from Germany.
With great appreciation, Enabulele acknowledged the concerted efforts of all parties involved in the triumphant return of these cherished pieces of Benin’s cultural legacy.
Addressing journalists in Benin, Edo State capital, Enabulele expressed profound respect for the Oba and the historical significance encapsulated within the returned artefacts, affirming their intrinsic value to the identity and heritage of the Kingdom of Benin.
He said the monarchy is older than Nigeria, adding that no political party in Edo State should exploit their office to the disadvantage of the system, and that the whole world is under watching.
He stated that the returned artefacts is a good step to reaffirming that the Benin Kingdom is Alive. “I tell people that the wall of Benin is bigger than the Wall of China. Our art pieces have been featured in blockbuster fill s like Black Panther. This shows how powerful our kingdom is. History will be kind to us if only we add value to the monarchy to showcase our collective strength.”
Recognising the pivotal moment in the ongoing journey of cultural restitution, Enabulele underscored the importance of leveraging innovative approaches to preserve and harness the potential of these cultural treasures for the benefit of present and future generations.
“We will continue to promote our culture and heritage. And as the gubernatorial candidate of our dear state, I will make sure there is a correlation between the state house and the monarchy to avoid any future confusion and misinformation in the land, and to promote our culture and heritage to the benefit of the present and future generations,” Enabulele reassured.
He also stated that in the future “we tend to use our blockchain mechanism in reassuring that any artefacts that’re returned to us are genuine, and not counterfeit.”
As the visionary founder of Oduwa Blockchain Solutions, a company through which he created Ubuntu NFTs, a platform at the nexus of digital innovation and cultural heritage preservation, Enabulele emphasised the potential of leveraging non-fungible tokens (NFTs) to maximize the value and impact of these artefacts for the Kingdom of Benin.
While highlighting how NFTs could offer innovative avenues for preserving cultural heritage, promoting tourism, and boosting the economic growth of Edo State, Enabulele revealed that it is his life mission to take to the global stage the importance of “our monarchical system.”
“It’s my mission to create a smart museum, where the world will see the strength of our monarchy in the digital cloud. This is what blockchain digital transformation can bring, and create more revenues for the state,” he revealed.
Enabulele elaborated on the multifaceted benefits of harnessing our heritage, emphasising its potential to transcend geographical boundaries and temporal constraints, thereby democratizing access to Benin’s rich cultural legacy on a global scale.
Enabulele, however, envisions a future where blockchain serve as catalysts for social cohesion, economic prosperity, and cultural revitalization within the Kingdom of Benin, and Nigeria at large.
