Afrobeats sensation Divine Ikubor, popularly known as Rema, is poised to set the ancient city of Benin on fire as he holds his first-ever homecoming concert tonight.
The concert billed to hold at Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, is one of a kind, marking the beginning of a new era in the entertainment landscape of Edo state.
This homecoming concert follows a prior attempt by Governor Godwin Obaseki to host Rema in December 2023, which was cancelled owing to health concerns. The “Calm Down” crooner was excited following the heroic welcome he received, when he arrived Edo, ahead of the concert a few days ago.
Rema, days back, joined Governor Obaseki for the groundbreaking ceremony of Edo Arena and laid the first block. The arena, which will be called ‘Rema’s Dome,’ is located at the former Garrick Memorial School Ground on Ekehuan Road in Benin City”.
They were also joined by the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Asue Ighodalo and the Commissioner for Tourism, Arts, Culture and Diaspora Affairs, Uyi Oduwa Malaka, among other top government functionaries.
The elated music sensation thanked the people of the State for their relentless love and support, commending Governor Obaseki for his bold reforms and projects that have improved the lives of the people and transformed the state in the last eight years.
“I am happy to be here. I thank Edo people for their prayers and support. I am proud of the State, especially the growth recorded so far. I am proud of the togetherness, passion and zeal to make it greater”.
Commending the governor for the project, Rema said, “I am proud of the youths and ready to take part in anything that will give a drive to the youths, strengthen and motivate them. This is a blessing and I will see to it that this project is finished well”.
On the idea behind the development of the project, Governor Obaseki said, “When we came into government in 2016, we didn’t have a venue for events but rather we were hiring canopies for events and renting places for large events, especially when we invited people outside the State. It became clear that we needed to have a venue where we could host large events.
“In the course of our planning, we realized that Edo has a unique advantage. They don’t call us the heartbeat of Nigeria for nothing. Edo enjoys tremendous traffic as most Nigerians move through Edo State and we noticed that it’s a huge economic advantage for us. We have the capacity to host national events and attract all Nigerians here. We made strategic plans as we began to sell our culture and position ourselves to attract more people to our State”.
Obaseki explained that when completed, the arena will host a wide range of events, from concerts and national conferences to symposiums and other large gatherings.
