Asagba Azinge Launches ₦400m Heritage Museum, Says Citizens Must Complement Government In Rebranding Asaba

Delta monarch lays museum foundation stone, praising community funding while urging citizens to join efforts rebranding Asaba megacity.

The Asagba of Asaba, Prof. Epiphany Chigbogu Azinge (SAN), has laid the foundation stone of the Asaba Heritage Museum, describing it as a key step in efforts to rebrand Delta’s capital into a megacity.

Performing the ceremony at the Asagba’s Permanent Palace ground, the monarch hailed the initiative as a product of communal effort and a demonstration that citizens must complement government’s developmental drive.

His Majesty thanked philanthropist Ogbueshi Tony Ndah and the Tony Ndah Foundation for singularly funding the multi-million-naira project, estimated at N400 million. He disclosed that half of the funds had already been provided, with completion targeted for December this year.

“Today, by the grace of God and thanks to our son, Ogbueshi Tony Ndah, who has not only promised but made available the money for the building of this museum, we are laying its foundation. We envisage that by December the building would be fully completed and handed over for use,” he said.

The Asagba added that the museum would not stand in isolation, stressing that complementary structures would also be completed in time for his second coronation anniversary in October 2026, when the palace complex would be fully commissioned.

“I have said it repeatedly that government cannot do everything for us. There are certain things we must do for ourselves, and this is a clear example and testimony that truly we are prepared to do certain things for ourselves — and we are doing them very well,” he said.

The monarch also announced that another Asaba son, Emma Odiaka, had pledged to build a Palace Library, while corporate bodies had promised support for other parts of the palace project, including a pavilion.