The Edo State Government has announced free malaria testing and treatment in all government hospitals across the state while handing back the Edo Museum of West African Art (EMOWA) and the Oba Akenzua Cultural Centre to the Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II.
The two developments were announced on Wednesday during the Edo State Government’s monthly press briefing in Benin City, where officials outlined key interventions in the health, culture and tourism sectors.
The Special Adviser to Governor Monday Okpebholo on Health, Dr Andrew Iyamu, disclosed that the governor had approved free malaria testing and treatment in all government hospitals across the state.
According to Iyamu, the initiative is designed to remove financial barriers preventing residents from accessing diagnosis and treatment for malaria.
He said the policy would run for two years, after which the government would review its effectiveness and determine the next course of action.
The health adviser also disclosed that the administration had renovated 65 Primary Health Centres across Edo’s 18 local government areas and 35 secondary health centres.
He added that the government was intensifying efforts to improve healthcare delivery while tackling substandard health facilities, quackery and the circulation of fake drugs.
The administration has also reportedly recruited about 1,000 health workers, while the long-moribund Eneghede General Hospital has been renovated.
In the cultural sector, Commissioner for Arts, Culture and Creative Economy, Chris Okaeben, described the return of EMOWA and the Oba Akenzua Cultural Centre to the Oba of Benin as two major policy decisions of the Okpebholo administration.
Okaeben said the museum, previously known as the Museum of West African Art (MOWAA), would revert to its original name, EMOWA.
He also clarified the role of the European Union in the project, saying the EU provided a grant in support of the museum rather than investing directly in it.
According to the commissioner, the Edo State Government provided the land and invested N3.8 billion in the project.
The development follows the administration’s earlier position that the museum project should be aligned with the preservation of Benin’s royal heritage. In November 2025, Governor Okpebholo announced plans to restore the project to its original purpose as a Benin Royal Museum.
Okaeben also announced plans for the Edo Carnival in December, saying the event would promote unity among Edo people.
He disclosed further that the ministry was grading hotels across the state as part of efforts to strengthen the tourism sector and attract greater attention to Edo’s cultural and heritage assets.
The commissioner said the government was also partnering with investors on heritage sites, identifying the historic Benin Moat as one of the sites with significant tourism potential. ([The Sun Nigeria][4])
The latest measures place healthcare access, cultural heritage and tourism development at the centre of the Edo Government’s latest policy announcements.
