Benin History & Research Centre in Diaspora

Nekpen Obasogie,  Urban Hero Award at the City of Toronto, Canada. I received the long-awaited Urban Hero Award for the category of "Art" from the City of Toronto last night, October 26th, 2022! Martin Luther King Jr. once said that, "All labour that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence." As a Black woman, it takes hard work, dedication and perseverance to climb the socio-economic ladder! In my time, I have been able to shape the history of Benin and advance humanity with my unique and innovative prowess (selfless community service in Canada and in the diaspora). I'm very grateful for the encomium from the general public. The award event was posted in local newspapers in Toronto! My gratitude to Metroland media, Canadian Tire and everyone that organized this historic award event! Thank you all for believing in the strength of a visionary woman like me! Fantastic plaque! https://www.toronto.com/news/2022...

Jubilation as Benin Artifacts from Smithsonian National Museum of African Art in the United States arrived in Nigeria successfully yesterday!   All looted treasures from Africa by the Europeans during the colonial era are gradually finding their way back home. Some Western countries have decided to ethically return some African treasures that were stolen by their predecessors as a result of colonial conquest in the 19th century in Africa.

NEKPEN OBASOGIE - THE STARDOM PRONED TROJAN. Born in her native land of Benin City, Nigeria in the West Coast of Africa, Nekpen in her early years as a lass, enjoyed the ambience and cultural flavour of the Great Kingdom of Benin, obviously shrouded in the misery of a patrimonial setting, where the gender superiority took the centre stage, with prominence given only to the male folks whose voices were clearly overwhelming enhanced by cultural legality. Amidst, all vagaries of gender superiority there arose a voice, a feminine voice like of him that cried in the wilderness for the emancipation of women in Africa, only confined to harem's activities.  The very dynamic and enterprising Nekpen in dare need for a change, decided to make the difference. With her High level of education as an assert,  she drove in the vehicle of  her rich cultural background, livened by its enviable traditional values.  Nekpen Obasogie, having being grossly influenced and overwhelmed by a b...

  The Smithsonian National Museum of African Art (NMAfA), Washington, DC, United States of America Tuesday, October 11, 2022 organized a signing ceremony of th e first ever return of historical Benin bronzes from the United States to Nigeria. In preparation for their safe repatriation to Nigeria, the artifacts, which have been away from their Benin, Edo State abode for over 125 years, were removed from display at the gallery shortly after the signing ceremony. Nekpen Obasogie took time off her busy schedule in Toronto, Canada to honour the invitation and join the ceremony along with other Nigerians which included high government officials led by the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed and the Director General of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM), Prof. Abba Isa Tijani. Also in attendance were Ngaire Blankenberg, director of the National Museum of African Art; Kaywin Feldman, director of the National Gallery of Art; Prince Aghatise Eredia...

 Canada-based  Nigerian writer, Lady Nekpen Obasogie has given reasons for the recent declaration of August 13 every year as Edo Language Day. Lady Obasogie, the author of "Great Benin: The Alcazar of Post-Colonial Culture" explained that the initiative is a response to the warning over the potential extinction of Edo Language and many other languages across the globe. The writer who was recently conferred with the honorary Pen Award by the Edo State chapter of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) said that the declaration of the historic day was made at the first worldwide Edo Language Seminar organized by NEBO TV in collaboration with the University of Benin (UNIBEN). The award winning author explained that the participants who included eminent personalities from Benin Kingdom connected via Zoom to strategize on how to preserve, revitalize and harmonize Edo Language orthography worldwide. She added: "The declaration was made by NEBO TV at their first worldwide Edo...

For award winning female Nigerian Canadian author, Lady Nekpen Obasogie, the recent ENAW Convention in far away Las Vegas, Nevada, United States of America on Saturday, September 24, 2022 will continue to remain in her memory for a long time to come. An elated Lady Obasogie who has obviously carved a niche for herself as one of the custodians of the rich Benin cultural heritage in the diaspora and Nigeria through her writings, confessed that at the event, she experienced the highest book signing exercise of her writing career so far as hundreds of copies of her books were sold out at the memorable occasion. While many people went home with copies of the books for their personal consumption, others bought them for exhibition and research centres. Getting emotional as she signed several autographs, the writer could hardly hold back as tears of joy rolled down her cheeks. Many people including elders visited her stand to pray for her and offer words of wisdom and encouragement. Beaming wi...