Category: Life – The Midweek Magazine

The International Association of Lions Club District 404B2 Nigeria held an annual family programme, titled Family Ties at the Lagos State Public Service Club.

Family Ties is an annual event, which features members of the Lions Club and their families coming together to share ideas, bonding as well as funfare with children games like chess, ludo and other side attraction for their enjoyment.

According to DG Kayode Osinuga, the event was an opportunity for members of the club to come together and facilitate, after serving diligently at various part of their community.

“It is a way of giving back to ourselves what we have been giving to the society, the motive behind this programme is to create bonding. It is not just about coming to meetings to carry out projects and activities for our communities, but also, to take this kind of break, to celebrate one another,” he said.

On her part, Chairperson Catherine Ndupu also added that the event was marked as a day of celebration and promotion of ‘family ties’ among the members of the club.

“We call it family ties because we need to bond. We play different games; get to know each other’s family members and we ask each other different questions. Lions Club is a charitable club, we do a lot of charitable works like caring for the blind, peadriactic, feeding the hungry and so on. This is like another charity we are doing today. Husband and wife come with their children, though we invite outsiders too for the event because it serves as a way of meeting prospective new members. When they see how we are doing it, then we tell them the criteria for joining. You must be charitable as an individual. We also have international convention and you must use your three T, which is time, talent and treasure for the club,” she said.

Five years ago, I began collecting investment-grade artworks and quickly identified three major pain points. I started with the most obvious issue, which is cataloguing artworks, especially when you have more than 20 pieces. Collectors often have an insatiable desire to amass an ever-increasing number of artworks, sometimes numbering in the thousands. How do you keep track of everything you do? How do you document them in a way that reflects the narrative that is relevant and central to the work? How do you quickly refer to the works and provide a detailed analysis of your investment portfolio based on AI-indicated valuations? That was the first symptom I noticed.

The second major source of discomfort was double loading. These investment-grade works are exorbitantly priced. A Yusuf Grillo, for example, will easily set you back $300,000, as will El-Anatsui, Ben Enwonwu and Irma Stern. That is not easy to come by anymore, and sometimes, when the desire to collect is strong, it is best to investigate the option of co-ownership of artwork, but there is no easy platform to do so. The flip side of the second issue is that most collectors have more works than available wall space. I know we all feel this way, and depending on the extent of your pain, some of you may have purchased houses specifically to house these artworks. How do we convert the cost burden of artwork storage into a steady stream of revenue from leasing these works and the altruistic disposition of allowing the works to be displayed?

The third discomfort is critical to being finance professional. Most collectors have spent a fortune over the years acquiring exceptional works of art. Even though the works have an active auction market with ready buyers at known price levels, such collectors will find it extremely difficult to access liquidity using their art portfolio. This is a significant challenge for the financially savvy men.

If you have any of these issues or have had a similar experience, investigate ARTSPLIT, it may be useful to you as it has been to me. Before I share my product experience, please keep the following points in mind. Based on my personal experience and art-related pain-points, I was instrumental in the design of ARTSPLIT. The second is that VFD Group, of which I am GMD/CEO, invested $1 million in ARTSPLIT two months before the app’s release.

Having said that, my personal experience with the app has been outstanding, barring a few minor bugs and product redesigns. By far, my favourite app feature is the cataloguing feature. Over the course of five years, I have amassed a collection of over 500 works of art. I recognise every work I own when I see it, but I can’t recall all of them offhand. I also don’t remember all of the minor details of my works, which are necessary for the story-telling aspect of any remarkable work. I’ve catalogued most of my works so far, and the feeling is out of this world. It is simple to retrieve work details and share them with friends. The online catalogue is so well formatted that it can be sent to print without being altered.

I also like the app’s co-ownership functionality, which is referred to as “splits.” I have co-acquired top investment grade African works that I could not have afforded on my own in the last 14 days. It has also provided me with excellent portfolio diversification. Enwowu’s Ogolo in Motion (1982), Irma Stern’s Grape Cutter (1955) and A Spanish City Beyond (1962), Abdoulaye Aboudia’s Untitled (2014) and Noutchy Graffiti (2020), William Joseph Kentridge’s Sophiatown At Civitavecchia (1988) and Uzo Egonu’s Women Gathering (1962). I don’t own these works entirely, but I enjoy the same return profile in relation to the amount invested. It’s also worth noting that these same works, which are only partially owned, are reflected and properly documented in the catalogue.

I introduced a South African friend to ARTSPLIT last weekend, and he was ecstatic. It didn’t take long for me to figure out why, and he was open about it. He desperately needed $50,000 and couldn’t get it despite having an art portfolio worth more than $6 million. The reason is straightforward: there are no widely accepted structures for arts-related lending and transactions. He received the necessary funding within 24 hours, and I am sure he is still stunned. The team is currently developing an art acquisition finance product that will provide credit at the touch of an icon. It will also provide the portfolio valuation required to support any credit appraisal or loan consideration. I believe the section’s resolution point is, “How do we structure and package arts to become a relevant financial instrument?” That, I believe, is the primary challenge confronting the African Arts Community.

• Okpala is Group Managing Director of VFD Tech and VFD Group Plc, and an art enthusiast.

The National Council for Arts and Culture and the Federal Road Safety Corps are partnering to promote culture of safety on Nigerian roads. The decision was reached during a meeting between the Director-General, National Council for Arts and Culture, Otunba Segun Runsewe and Corp Marshal of the Federal  Road Safety Corp, Mr. Boboye Oyeyemi at the Corp headquarters  in Abuja.

Otunba Runsewe said he was overwhelmed with the state-of- the art facilities at the Corp monitoring and control room as well as  the FRSC Radio Station broadcasting from 107.1 FM when he was conducted round.

Runsewe praised the Corp Marshal for his visionary leadership which has culminated in the sustenance of the vision and mandate of the FRSC. He however, noted that major causes of mishaps on our roads stem from the fact that our cultural values as Nigerians have been eroded, adding that there was urgent need for a  reorientation for all road users.

He stressed the need for increased synergy and collaboration between both organisations to sensitise road users on the moral imperative of imbibing the culture of safety on our roads to reduce accidents and avoid unnecessary loss of lives.

“It is alien to our culture to drink and drive. It is also not in our culture to use electronic gadgets like phones and to over-speed while driving. NCAC is ready to collaborate with the FRSC in its drive to educate Nigerians on the need to restore sanity on our roads by reenacting the culture of safety,” he added.

Oyeyemi expressed delight for the visit, which he said came at a time when the commission needed to increase its synergy with critical stakeholders on measures to ensure attitudinal change of road users.

He said the FRSC was proud to partner with NCAC that has a deep passion for the Nigerian project and has contributed immensely in beaming the image of Nigeria home and abroad within the Culture and tourism space.

He maintained that one of the cardinal responsibilities of the FRSC is to ensure that all road users especially the drivers at various motor parks across the country are well schooled on safety protocols before embarking on their journey adding that the exercise has yielded positive results as cases of accidents on our roads have reduced drastistically.

The corps expressed the FRSC readiness to collaborate with the NCAC by allocating a  30 minutes slot on the FM Radio for the Corps educational officers and for NCAC to introduce the much needed cultural content in its safety and enlightenment campaigns to the public as  much still needs to be done in that regard.

The Corps Marshal while presenting safety books for the NCAC library expressed delight on the veritable platform created by the parnership and remarked that NCAC will form an integral part of its campaign machinery since it has the capacity in terms of language, dance arts and crafts to culturally drive home the safety messages.

Highlight of the meeting was the unveiling of the symbol of cooperation between the two organisations with the insignia: NCAC and FRSC a partnership that works followed by presentation of gifts by the heads of both organisations

Title: Abiana-Born To Die

Author: Chinyere Elizabeth Okoroafor

Reviewer: Justice Ndubuisi Otunne

Pagination: 32

The playwright uses the four act play to dramatise religious fanaticism.

In the first act of the play, we encounter Iyaji in conflict with her son-in-law Pius, who is depicted as a pious Christian. Ijayi who has come to give her grand-daughter, Maria, pieces of meat has Pius, Maria’s father, to contend with as he would not allow his daughter to share in what he calls “meat sacrificed to wooden gods”. Anna, Pius’s wife, who comes to save the situation gets a bit of Pius’s anger as he pushes her down. Iyaji laments the effect of Christian religion on her son-in-law and wonders what would become of her if she dies, with a son-in-law like Pius. Nwedo and Adiewere are also present in this scene.  They have come to set matters straight between Pius and his wife, who are engaged in a fight over the so-called sacrificed pieces of meat Iyaji tries to offer Maria. Pius falls out with Adiewere who tries to rationalise that Iyaji would not bring trouble to the house of her son-in-law.

He accuses Pius of taking the Christian doctrine too serious. Both Nwedo and Adiewere are of the opinion that Pius went too far in assaulting his mother-in-law because he thinks that the meat she brought is sacrificed to idols. They argue that most things are not produced by Christians, hence, in a sense; we all consume things produced by pagans.

Maria’s scream startles everyone. She is in trance saying “No! No! I’m not responsible! My father! My father!”, Pius gets holy water and begins to sprinkle on her as the shout increases. A priest is invited who comes and commands the evil spirit believed to possess Maria to depart from her while others present chorus Amen!  As the priest prays, Maria jumps from her mother’s lap, where she has been held, and breaks into a run as they chase her.

Scene two of the play opens in a shrine. Iyaji has gone to visit a diviner to inquire about the cause of her granddaughter’s ill health and a possible cure. Even before she makes her intention of coming known, the diviner claims to know what brings her. He admits that he cannot give Iyaji a solution to her granddaughter’s problem. Iyaji is broken to hear that she cannot find solution from the diviner. The diviner shocks Iyaji the more when he reveals that Anna, Ijaji’s granddaughter, is an Ogbanje, and that death stares her in the face. At this,  Iyaji falls flat on the floor crying and asking the diviner to save her daughter. All the while, the diviner sits on his chair unruffled. He scolds Iyaji for committing sacrilege by crying in his shrine. Ijayi appeases the gods by providing money for chickens. The diviner explains the cause of Maria’s yelling, saying that the lake goddess wants her back because she has not been thanked since Maria’s birth. Among the solutions proffered by the diviner is to call Maria Ogbuide and call on the lake goddess to welcome her. Yet another task is to make a pot of shrine and keep close to the little girl. Iyaji does not see how this is possible given that Pius, Maria’s dad would not allow Iyaji to bring a shrine to his house in the name of saving the dying girl. She begs the diviner to look for another solution. The diviner tells her to get the whiskers of a living lion or get the ailing child to him.  None of the conditions seems attainable for Iyaji, she collapses on her chair. Thinking she has died, the diviner begins to scream, shaking Iyaji. His wife walks in and joins in the screaming, as she shouts Iyaji opens her eyes and flees upon casting a glance on the diviner who gives her a hot chase. He comes back to ask for food from his wife who makes for the kitchen as he faces the audience. The diviner compares his job to that of priests in the church. He laments that even though the priests do little or nothing, they still feed well through tithes and other means, but people expect him, a diviner, to perform miracles on empty stomach. He resolves to eat, work or no work, like his counterparts in churches.

In act three of the play, we see Iyaji who has come to Pius’s house to find out ways to carry out the diviner’s instruction towards a cure for Maria, her granddaughter. She hides when she sees Pius coming out of the house and reemerges as he goes out. Iyaji speaks to the audience wondering how Pius hopes to cure Maria’s Ogbanje by taking her to the priest. Her daughter emerges and they have discussions. Ijayi tells her daughter what the diviner said about a cure for Maria. Anna expresses fear that her husband would not allow any of the solutions suggested by the diviner. Iyaji reveals that Maria is an Ogbanje, a child born to die. Iyaji expresses anger over Anna’s decision to marry Pius despite the warnings. Anna is left in a dilemma as to which course to take to save the life of her daughter.

The play ends in act four. Here Iyaji walks into the stage carrying the corpse of Maria, blaming Pius for the death of her grandchild. Pius maintains that she is a witch, while she calls him an ignorant fool for relying on a foreign approach to a local problem.  This blame and counter blame goes on until Adiewere steps in to mediate. He tells them to stop the blame game as it would change nothing. Iyaji insists that if a traditional approach had been adopted in the case of Maria, she would not have died. Adiewere advocates peace, he suggests that the “dead child should be buried along with all religious differences for which she died”. At this Iyaji and Pius embrace each other in a show of reconciliation, bringing the play to an end.

Some nine years ago, Ifeoma Theodore Jnr E published her first fiction entitled: Trapped in Oblivion, a family-centred fiction that focuses on many issues  manifesting among youths in the country. In the book, she literarily foresaw some of these challenges, especially sex-related abuses. Unknown to many, Trapped in Oblivion, a 235-page book speaks to a broad audience of policy makers, teachers, parents and guardians in the prevention and impact mitigation of the effect and lack of sex education resulting in teen pregnancy, child molestation, cyber bullying, pedophilia and pornography. Reflecting on the content of her book, Ifeoma speaks with Assistant Editor (Arts) OZOLUA UHAKHEME on the need to create a synergy between government, schools and parents to minimise the consequences of these vices.

Ifeoma Theodore Jnr E may not be among the most celebrated Nigerian authors, but her two books Trapped in Oblivion and My daughter and I continue to ring a bell among some critical institutions in the education sector. Her maiden, Tapped in Oblivion, especially is unarguably vital for honest parental communication regarding sex education, HIV awareness, peer pressure and self-confidence.

Reacting to the recent video scandal and child bullying in two Lagos schools, she said they are time bomb waiting to explode saying, she saw it coming. She felt the explosion would have occurred much earlier than now going by what she experienced at some of the schools she visited for talks. Determined to be make a difference, she engaged in talks with students at different schools with a view to guide them right on sex education.

Recently, Chrisland School sex video went viral on social media resulting in the closure of the school by Lagos State Government for alleged misconduct of some of the students in Dubai. It was however reopened penultimate Monday.

But, Lagos State Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Folasade Adefisayo assured that the ministry and other relevant state agencies, in conjunction with the school’s Parent Teachers Association, will be working on a scheduled psychosocial support for the students while the probe of the scandal is ongoing.

According to Ifeoma, she actually thought these scandals would happen much earlier. “That was why I was pushing this out. So, when people were now screaming and asking me do you hear what happened in Dowen, Chrisland or other schools? I will be lying if I should say I was surprised. Then, it means I didn’t write this book. And I started walking the talk. And when I felt that as a lone person, Ifeoma Theodore Jnr E wasn’t enough, KEE Foundation was birthed to disseminate the information because I knew it was a time bomb about to explode,” she said.

Seeking collaborations of other stakeholders with KEE Foundation initiative (#Thechildrenarenottoblame), supported by Magna Carta Health and 1922 Limited, she urged government, schools and parents to play their roles in shaping the future of the children, noting that it is a value chain.  “We are not here to trade blames. It’s a value chain. As soon as we can understand and accept that we are all held liable, except these children, because they are under our care. It is the society we created for them. There’s no shortcut. We talk about Maltina Dance Hall. It is what you’ve given them. We talk about talent hunt. It’s what you have given them. With Big Brother Naija, they see so many things. I don’t think we are magicians. The point is, instead of trading blames, we should accept that it is what we have created for them. That’s what they are giving,” she added.

She urged the parents, institutions and government to stop the blame game and work together for a better future for the children. “So let’s work together. It is not time to trade blame. Let institutions come out and do something to make things better. You owe it to these kids,” she added.

According to her, the lasting solution is residual knowledge which the children can refer to. This, she said, is why she keeps on advocating for materials for knowledge. “It’s not enough to preach the gospel. What materials can these kids have that will be a constant reminder that this is what I know? Something that can make them engage with one another,” she added.

Ifeoma’s two books: My Daughters and I and Trapped In Oblivion, family-centred fiction stories published in 2013, focus on many of these issues that are manifesting among youths in the country. For instance, in Chapter 4 Page 29, of Trapped In Oblivion, she mirrors the build up to what is happening in society today in a conversation between two teenagers:

“I can’t wait to get my mobile phone. I won’t be surprised if it’s already waiting for me when I get home, Sade said. “I thought you said you will get yours in senior yea,” I said.

“What difference does it make, Eh? I’m through with my junior exams, I’m sure of passing. Kunle got his the day he finished his exams. Why do I have to wait? “Sade said.

“Hey, it’s ok,” Sandra said. “I hope to get mine too, though I don’t think it’s before my results come out and I think my parents are having second thoughts.”

“Second thoughts?” Sade and I asked.

“I don’t know. And I’m just saying I might not get one. My Mum keeps dropping hints that maybe all these technological advancements are a little bit too advanced for young girls like me,” Sandra said.

“My Dad promised to get me one but changed his mind because Mum doesn’t think I should get one just yet. Adaora says it’s because of video cameras many come with these days and the access to internet videos. What’s all the fuss about anyway by our parents?” I asked.

Similarly, in highlighting the abuses that come with the smart phone, Ifeoma shares another conversation in Chapter 13, Page 108.

“I stopped talking to Kunle. Segun had the rape video and showed it to Kunle, and Kunle showed it to Sade. She saw it for a few seconds before she informed him it was Sandra’s cousin. …How could the video have spread so rapidly?” I asked. It was almost as if it was a virus, like a brutal wicked infection. And it had claimed a victim.

“It is all these new phones, these smart phones. I think the world will be a much more dangerous place for us as we grow up. You cannot hide anything; you cannot hide shame, you cannot hide mistakes.”

The book was endorsed as literature textbooks by Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC), UKAID (Department for International Development (DFID) and National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA).

Critical stakeholders  in the book industry  have identified piracy, multiple taxations by the three tiers of government and exorbitant rates charged by respective state Ministries of Education as unbearable burden stalling the growth of the book industry. The stakeholders that include authors, publishers, booksellers, printers, librarians urged Federal Government to urgently come to their aid by enacting the long awaited National Book Policy to save the sector from collapse.

They spoke in Lagos while unveiling  programmes and activities for this year’s Nigeria International Book Fair 2022 holding at Harbour Point Event Centre, Ahmadu Bello Way, Victoria Island, Lagos from Thursday, May 12 through Saturday, May 14. This year’s book fair has as theme Copyright and Sustainable Growth in the Book Ecosystem: Setting a New Agenda.

The keynote paper which centers on the theme of the event, will be presented by Dr. John Asein, Director General Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), Dr. John Asein, while panel of discussants will be moderated by Head of Mass Communication Department, Dominican University, Ibadan, Prof. Andrew Okwilagwe.

Chairman Nigerian Book Fair Trust (NBFT) and CEO Accessible Publishers Ltd, Mr. Gbadega Adedapo, said government’s neglect of the book sector was no longer tolerable. He threatened that the players in the book value chain might be compelled to shut down the book sector, as the only way to get government’s attention to do what it needs to do to correct the age-long anomalies in the sector.

“We are adding value to society, but government is only looking at us,” he declared. “If we shut down everything pertaining to books, government will be forced to sit down and listen. Government should change its ways that are harming the book trade and do their part, then things will change. Triple taxes are killing us, but pirates don’t pay anything – both overhead and taxes – because they don’t even have offices you can trace them to. So they can afford to sell (books) at whatever price.”

He however, stressed that sheer passion for the business has kept most of his members in business otherwise many would have thrown in the towel, but added that ‘we won’t stop but continue doing what we do.’

“If not for passion, those of us in the book trade would have given up. We need a National Book Policy to right the many wrongs in the industry. Only government can give us that.”

On the claim that the yearly fair was not inclusive enough, he said that was not the case, adding that a committee was set up this year to “manage this inclusivity”, outline programmes the book fair would offer that also include Spelling Bee, quiz in mathematics and others for school pupils and students alike.

President Nigerian Booksellers Association and Chairman, Fair Management/Award Committee, Mr. Dare Oluwatuyi, said the book fair is an effort designed by those in the book value chain to “encourage and ensure that reading culture is sustained and made to grow. We want to ensure that reading culture does not die or go down.”

According to Oluwatuyi, government intervention in the area of National Book Policy becomes very critical in defining the specific role of each player in the sector in order to avoid infringement in operations. He accused publishers of undermining booksellers when they sell books directly to schools instead of using the services of booksellers in line with tradition. By cutting off this vital link, he said, publishers ran many booksellers out of business. He stated that some of these aggrieved booksellers in turn began to pirate publishers’ books just to get back at them, adding that such ugly development does not augur well for players in the book industry. He sued for a saner book environment where each segment plays its statutory role and does not encroach on each other’s area of operation.

Oluwatuyi disclosed that Nigeria Copyright Commission (NCC) would soon begin clamping down on schools operating illegal bookshops, saying it is not the job of schools to sell books but make their pupils and students buy from accredited booksellers.

Consultant to the fair and CEO Knowledge Beyond, Mr. Remi Adesokan, confirmed that contests such as Spelling Bee, quiz, and mathematics contests will be part of activities at this year’s fair. Representative of National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), Mrs. Florence Okorji, who expressed excitement at the content of events for this year’s fair, said it is not an adult-based book fair only.

“It’s good to note that the book fair has programmes for children to look forward to,” Okorji said. “The MDGs will avail school owners opportunity to interact with those concerned. I look forward to a rewarding outing, as we join hands to sensitise people to make sure that the book fair message goes wide.”

Outside the farmstead fence

they sat forlorn and bedraggled

like a rain-soaked vulture on mythical errand

clutching to their pulsating chest

a long slate of promises with zest

they sold a creamy dream

to the owner of this luscious plantation.

They promised sedulous weeding and watering

so that crops would flourish

they promise to tend the field

for bountiful yield all round seasons.

 

The farmland owner bought the creamy dream

and yielded the farmstead to phantom hope

cultivated by a conclave of roving hope raisers.

And now

the plantation is like a scruffy orphan

overgrown with wanton weeds.

 

The promise stockbrokers

vend blames in gruffly tones

they blame acute rheumatism

that makes weeding and watering

a new science in rolling boulder uphill

they blame the sun for heat at noon

they blame the sky for rain at dawn

they blame darkness for a tryst with dusk

they blame light for fleeing the arrow of night

at the season of harvest

they clutch to their deviant chests

long baskets filled with pests.

 

When this feast of lack is over

we will gather at the village square

in memory of this conclave of cooks

that feed the multitude with

specious tongues as fire logs.

By Ozolua Uhakheme, Assistant Editor (Art)

Jude Olotu’s recent solo art exhibition entitled: Moods: Relics of Courage held at Thought Pyramid Art Centre, Abuja, was not the regular art exposition held across galleries and museums in the country. It was part of efforts to raise awareness on his campaign on the state of the nation using his art, which he says, is his offering, protest and pain.

It was also oganised to motivate young Nigerians to rise courageously like the lions of old, who fought to lead Nigeria into independence. The not-for-sale exhibition, which featured over 80 artworks between April 10 and 18 was indeed a festival of courage. The nine-day exhibition offered everyone opportunity to feel the pulse of the artist while imbibing the spirit of being courageous.

There was talk on Non-Fungible Token (NFT) on April 15 for artists and enthusiasts who learnt about the new wave of block chain technology sweeping across the art landscape.

The event was home to art lovers, curators and collectors of different nationalities throughout the festive period  while  youths were not left out.

The kids were not left as Olotu held art workshop for kids on Saturday April 16, during which they were introduced to the basic elements of fine art, tutored and mentored. On Sunday, the guests were treated to a taste of painting and it was an all-white Easter party of a sort, as guests were adorned in white dresses to celebrate the achievements of the artist.

More importantly, Olotu used the exhibition to unveil his Excel Signature Creative Hub, which according to him, started in 2019 and is now built into a haven for those interested in fine art, digital art, sculpturing, metal art, wood art, interior design, product design, cinematography, music among others.

On his plans for the future, he also unveiled his reality TV show called The Art Maestro of the Year, which will hold by the second quarter of this year. An interesting painting was also created during the event called The Lion of Courage.

According to Olotu “I am ready to let the public see a side of me that has never before been revealed. He said, “My art is my vulnerability, my offering, my protest, and my pain. It’s like peeling away the layers of my personality and seeing into my soul. I had to be ready and I am ready.”

He disclosed that for a long time, he withheld showing his works as tool to communicate his sadness at the state of the country.

He said that was his own protest. “But it’s time now for the public to come and share my journey with me, in my first solo exhibition titled Relics of Courage.

Last month, Olotu exhibited some of his works for the first time ever at the world art exhibition in Dubai and received overwhelming applause.

“Now, it is Abuja’s turn. I am an engineer by training, but a painter by calling. I hail from Niger Delta region and grew up in the City of Jos, where the landscape was as if it were painted on canvas.

“From the tabletop plateaus to the flowing rivers and grasslands, it was where my talent was born,” he added.

Speaking on Olotu’s art, Omolola Olakunri said: “You cannot help but stop and stare as you begin to unravel the layers of mystery and thought that goes into each masterpiece. The first abstract that I was privileged to see, held me spellbound till I had an epiphany. It was a four-foot painting of crescents of gold.”

Olakunri said it spoke to the beauty, malleability, and indestructibility of gold while being stunning enough to be eye-catching.

“That and more than 300 equally incredible works of art sum up the various moods of a prodigious artist who speaks through his craft. He is a self-effacing artist, who up till now, has had few exhibitions, but whose body of work occupies a whole building, and is packed to the rafters. That is however set to change now.

“Olotu started an abstract realism of a lion and invited all the guests at the event to add their own colours and strokes to the artwork. A true masterpiece from the art maestro himself. Basically, it is impossible to cursorily just stroll past a Jude Olotu’s painting. His art pulls you in with an intensity and depth,” Olakunri said.

Continuing, Olakunri said: “Olotu has created and nurtured many talents and students of the arts, which has led to the creation of Excel Signature Creative Hub in Abuja.

“The creative hub is a place where creative artists are nurtured in fine arts, digital arts, metal art, wood art, sculpture, product design, cinematography and production, music as well as photography. The artists are also given exposure on national and international scales.

“The hub is already paying dividends to the society as array of talents are being filled regularly due to the mentorship and tutelage of the art maestro himself.”

To mark the 2022 World Book and Copyright Day, the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) is championing the campaign to allow more children who are blind to have access to books and learning materials.

In a statement commemorating the day at the weekend, NCC Director-General, Dr. John O. Asein, called for more accessible versions of books for the blind and visually impaired.

“As we strive to protect copyright, in the spirit of the Marrakesh Treaty and the Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act, the commission is also championing the campaign to allow more blind children have access to books and learning materials. We, therefore, call on publishers to embrace this initiative and make more books born accessible for the benefit of persons who are blind, visually impaired or otherwise print disabled. The new Copyright Bill that was recently passed by the Senate makes provision for the domestication of the treaty. This further shows the Federal Government’s commitment to its policy of inclusiveness, equal access and non-discrimination against persons living with disabilities,” he stated.

According to him, this year’s theme, Read…so you never feel alone, not only highlights the relevance of reading social bearing on the individual and society, he emphsised that wholesomeness of the materials is also key.

Asein stated: “As our own Wole Soyinka once put it, reading “enriches [everyone] as a human being” and enlarges our horizon on humanity. Because reading shapes and sharpens the mind, it is important that humanity is fed with wholesome materials that would in turn help the reader to contribute his or her best to the development of society.

“As the agency of government responsible for the promotion, regulation and enforcement of copyright, the NCC recognises the importance of reading as the bedrock of creativity.

Nigerian celebrity cosmetic dentist and CEO of Whitenlighten Ltd., Samuel Tinno Paul, better known as Tinnostiles, has made history as the first-ever Nigerian and African cosmetic dentist to perform a Platinum Laser Teeth Whitening Procedure on a yacht.

The hour-long procedure which took place recently at Marina in Dubai was performed on a Turkish actress, and on a South Beach lifestyle luxury yacht.

The dentist, showbiz promoter and business executive who has continued to blaze the trail in his field is on a tour with his team in Dubai.

Tinnostiles, who was a full-time showbiz promoter revealed that he became a cosmetic dentist after he underwent a cosmetic dental training programme in the United States. He added that his passion, hard work and commitment to impacting the world by giving everyday people and celebrities all over the world bigger smiles drove him to achieve the feat.

Sharing some of the hurdles he had to scale, he said: “One of the major challenges of being a celebrity dentist is that it has made me a frequent traveler; I’m always on the move due to high booking rates from different states and different countries. Most of the time, I am on the move with my team. We sometimes book our flights very late and it is often very expensive and at other times, we are forced to travel by road which is usually very risky.”

The young Nigerian isn’t resting on his oars as he vows to open more dental lounges across Nigeria and in major cities in the world while also breaking more records that will set his brand on a global pedestal.