MISSION STATEMENT
The Institute for Benin Studies, a non-governmental and non-profit organization was established in Benin City, Nigeria in 1995 to create an institutional basis for promoting Edo culture, history and language articulated by the International Conference on Benin Studies of March 1992. The Institute was also to help fill the vacum created by the closure of Center for Social, Economic and Cultural Studies (CENSER) of University of Benin, Benin City which would have been performing such work The Institute for Benin Studies’ mission is to work towards the reawakening of interest in and promoting research and documentation on Edo people of Nigeria, their history, culture, language and environment. The objective is to equip the people with relevant knowledge and information about their culture and history. This will invariably empower and mobilize them for participation in self and community development in a changing milieu of globalization and subsequent pulverization of local cultural identities.
ACTIVITIES AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS
With financial contributions and subscription of founding members and later donations from well meaning individuals and organizations, the Institute published:
- Benin Studies Newsletter (January 1996- January 2001 and January 2005)
- Instituted the annual Chief Jacob Egharevba Memorial Lecture held annually since 1997
- Published text of some of the lectures as monographs (2,3,4 and 5 out of 8)
- Organized conferences, seminars and symposia on Edo and African culture and society (the proceedings are awaiting publication)
- Established a specialized reference library in Benin City since 2000
- Provide research and documentation guidance for visiting students and researchers.
- Development of a website
PROPOSED AND ON-GOING PROJECTS
In addition, projects were proposed and some were even started, only to be suspended, due to inadequacy and/or lack of funding:
- Continuation of the publication of Benin Studies Newsletter
- Edo - Edo and Edo - English Dictionary (started)
- Preservation, translation, documentation and publication of collected manuscripts of Edo herbal medicine (started)
- Edo language and culture audio-visual teaching aids for children (not started)
- Translation of Iha Ominigbon divination incantations (not started)
- Edo language film festival/awards (not started)
- Edo Biographic documentation project (started)
- Journal of Edo Studies (not started)