The Nation Newspaper

Category: Arts & Life

  • A lift for Nigerian fashion industry

    A lift for Nigerian fashion industry

    Bob Cal, founder and CEO US-based Fashion Entertainment Television Hub (FE TV Hub) has described Nigeria as a virgin ground for talents in fashion, which the world is eagerly looking forward to see the best of her production. He said the missing link in the Nigeria’s fashion industry is the brand direction, which he said, will be realigned through partnership. 

    Cal who spoke in Lagos recently stated that though Nigeria has a big entertainment industry, he decided to register with the FE TV HUB USA in Nigeria in order to transform the fashion entertainment business in the country and bring it at par with those of US and Paris. “I am bringing in a fashion entertainment reality television show to Nigeria because the country doesn’t have a big fashion entertainment reality television show. I’m bringing the show in partnership with Brendan and Crusader to the narratives that Nigeria has potential talents to offer the world. Nigeria fashion designers need directions and strategies to excel.” Cal added.

    According to him, the project will be executed in partnership with Brendan and Crusader to lift Nigeria fashion industry to the international space through a reality television show.

    On why Nigeria for the partnership despite perceived negative narrative about Nigeria, Cal said: “I know what’s really going on around the globe. I am a very well-travelled person. But, I like to see things for myself. Entertainment and fashion are big businesses here in Nigeria. “

    The show, which starts soon, is a 3-in-one project fused with fashion, entertainment and reality television. It will have inferno runway dimensions including beach wears tailored towards Nigerian local adire fabrics. The inferno is a spicy high fashion beachwear designers competing for the nation’s top designer.

    Entry for participation is free and open to the public while the age bracket for contestants is from 16 – 45 years of age. Entry registration portal is www.fetvhuh.com and criterion for selection of candidates will be strict in line with international best practices. The judges will be selected from among professionals with reputable characters while top three celebrities from the USA will be in attendance lend credence to the show.

    Read Also: Minimum wage: Tinubu directs Edun to come up with cost implications in 48 hours

    The overall winner of the show will enjoy a sponsored trip to New York. The winner will play an ambassadorial role of promoting Nigerian fashion designs for Brendan and Crusader, the promotion company, to the international space. Other successful candidates will go home with incentive prizes.

    The partnership is to bring international contents to Nigerian fashion industry by harnessing the potential of talented Nigerian fashion designers and shooting them to the international limelight. The reality television show aims to expose young Nigerians fashion designers to interact with their international counterparts through exchange of ideas of trends in the global fashion markets.

    CEO, Brendan and Crusader Limited, Mr. Brenda Nsikak stressed the importance of the collaboration saying it will be a transformative phase for the fashion industry.

    To the project coordinator of the show, Mr. Teslim Shittu the contest is a fusion of fashion, entertainment and reality television shows that would run some episodes designed to entertain the audience and fashion enthusiasts. He noted that the production will have a ripple effect on empowerment for the youths as it will expose them to the international dimension of the business.

  • ‘No anti-creativity provision in regulations on smoking, rituals’

    ‘No anti-creativity provision in regulations on smoking, rituals’

    The National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) has said the new regulations on smoking, tobacco products and money rituals and ritual killings in movies will not stifle artistic creativity in the entertainment industry.

    NFVCB’s Executive Director/CEO, Dr. Shaibu Husseini stated this in Lagos on Sunday at a parley with editors and other senior journalists.

    Husseini explained that the regulations permit producers to, where absolutely necessary, depict smoking scenes in movies, music videos and skits, especially for reasons of artistic expression and historical accuracy.

    However, such scenes must neither glamourise tobacco or tobacco products nor have been sponsored by the tobacco industry.

    On Tuesday, May 21, 2024, the NFVCB disclosed that the Minister of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, had approved the “Prohibition of Money Ritual, Ritual Killing, Tobacco, Tobacco Product, Nicotine Product Promotion, Glamorization, Display in Movies, Musical Videos and Skits” Regulations 2024.

    The event was at a National Stakeholders’ Engagement on the “Smoke-Free Nollywood” campaign organised in collaboration with Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA). The Regulations 2024 is now awaiting gazetting by the Federal Government.

    He said: “I really need us to understand this. I did not ban smoking scenes. I did not ban ritual scenes. There are aspects of our culture that you need to display. But, what we are saying is that if you have to display these necessary scenes, for historical accuracy, for educational purposes and, of course, to correct a negative lifestyle, you must warn people that these things are not real, that it is not a lifestyle to emulate.

    Read Also: APC kickstarts electronic membership registration process

    “I’m telling you today that the regulation is not self-serving. I’m also telling you today that there is nothing anti-creativity about that Regulation, there is nothing about suppression of creativity in that Regulation.”

    Husseini noted that he was, himself, a performing artiste, adding that he “cannot be on the Censors Board as an artiste and also suppress creativity.”

    The Executive Director disclosed that work was in progress to change the National Film and Video Censors Board to a National Film and Video “Classification” Board.

    He added: “I commit to a Censors Board that will move completely from censorship to classification. I commit to a Censors Board that will move from the present analogue stage of classification to a digitised stage. I commit to a Censors Board that will commit itself to be responsive to society and responsive to stakeholders and, of course, the Federal Government that set it up.”

    He commended CAPPA for supporting the NFVCB.

    CAPPA’s Executive Director Akinbode Oluwafemi emphasised the importance of the National Stakeholders Engagement in Enugu, referencing the unveiling of the Regulations 2024 and the Code of Practice, voluntarily signed by no fewer than 51 Nollywood stakeholders.

  • Digitalising Nigerian heritage sites for posterity

    Digitalising Nigerian heritage sites for posterity

    For three days, experts drawn from National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM), Institut Français de Recherche en Afrique (INFRA-Nigeria) Museum of West African Art (MOWAA), the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), Obafemi Awolowo University, GISKonsuslt, University of Ibadan among others converged on National Museum, Onikan Lagos to explore digital technology in the service of Nigerian heritage.

    The conference tagged: The now and the future: Digital technology in the service of Nigerian heritage, featured paper presentations and exhibition of selected and recovered archival materials that border on Nigerian heritage and history.

    The event also unveiled some digitalised documentaries of Nigerian heritage sites such as the Benin moat and the religious architectural heritage of Ibadan among others. 

    The digitalization project was jointly organised by NCMM, Institut Français de Recherche en Afrique (INFRA-Nigeria) and the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD).

    Speaking during the unveiling, at the National Museum, Onikan, Dr Babrabra Morovich, Director INFRA-Nigeria, said that the digitised heritage sites cut across monuments and artefacts from Ibadan, Benin and Ile-Ife.

    She said the challenges encountered in the course of the project had to do with disseminating the research work to all Nigerians, adding that this was the most important aspect of the project.

    Morovich said the benefit of the project was directed at the public who had been provided with a platform for easy understanding of what heritage meant.

    “We collaborated with CDD on this project and we have worked on digitalising heritage sites and archival materials in Ile-Ife, Ibadan and Benin, for the purpose of preserving them for the future,” she said.

    Also speaking, Dr Sa’eed Husaini, Acting Director, CDD, said the primary purpose of the project was to preserve materials that were potentially endangered and to disseminate those materials as well as render them accessible for all.

    Husaini said the project was in six components and each of the components currently had at least one website for the public to access information, archival materials that had been digitised and uploaded.

    According to him, the public could now visit those sites and download their desired materials.

    “The findings and entire work done by various researchers and archeologists are extremely fascinating.

    “The project has run for two years now and we are now opportuned to engage with the materials provided to bring them to a new audience in a new generation, this is one that I cherish,” he said.

    One of those engaged in the project, David Afolayan, Chief Executive Officer of GIS Konsult Ltd, identified emerging problems he came across in the course of executing the project.

    Afolayan said climate change posed serious threat to most heritage sites across the nation, citing the example of the town of a thousand gullies in Auchi, Edo State and series of floods at heritage sites within Ibadan.

    He added that the analogue way of record-keeping had become obsolete and inadequate, making him embrace new technologies for the project.

    Afolayan said in digitalising the religious architectural heritage of Ibadan and urban archeology mapping of the pavements of Ile-Ife, he had engaged the Geographic Information system (GIS) as the best technological platform.

    According to him, GIS integrates computer hard wares, soft wares and human wares for collating, processing, analysing and displaying geographically referenced data to solve complex problems.

    He said in the course of the project, he had trained no fewer than 100 researchers, students and stakeholders.

    Read Also: Minimum wage: Tinubu directs Edun to come up with cost implications in 48 hours

    “In the course of this, we have developed Ibadan religious heritage map, Ifa pavement archeology map, digitalisation of Ibadan religious heritage and photogrammetry and video game applications of heritage sites in 3D models,” he said.

    Also, Femi Olanrewaju, an Architect, noted that no fewer than 137 churches, I42 mosques and 127 shrines had been digitalised as well as two Egungun festivals, to provided resourceful materials for all.

    This, he said, was to encourage promotion of religious tourism in Nigeria.

    Curator of National Museum, Onikan Lagos Mrs Nkechi Adedeji, harped on the need for heritage conservators to be well informed in the area of heritage preservation, using the GIS. She encouraged them to consistently come up with laudable ideas to protect the nation’s heritage resources for future generations.

    Prof. Adisa Ogunfola of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), advised on building of a digital interpretation centre, for all the urban archaeological heritages of Ile-Ife, in partnership with the National Museum, Ile-Ife.

    He said the successful medieval Ile-Ife recapturing had ensured future security for all. “With the project, we have been able to secure the captured medieval Ile-Ife for posterity against the possible blotting out of its traces by pending urbanisation,” Ogunfola said.

  • Obioji’s poems unveiled in London

    Obioji’s poems unveiled in London

    Multi-talented Nigerian writer and poet, Amaka Felly Obioji, recently launched her debut collection of poems Mother, Did You Call My Name? in a grand style, at the Rooftop Terrace, 5, Barking Wharf Square, London.

    The collection of poems is a reflection on life, experiences, thoughts and observations as a young lady from Nigeria with a unique blend of adventures shaping her paths before her relocation to London and becoming a co-founder of Diaspora Africa, an independent media organisation dedicated to highlighting stories that centre on the movement of Africans at home and in the diaspora while exploring topics such as gender, climate change, LGBTQI+ rights, refugee politics, social inclusion and more.

    The event was attended by Dr. Darya Protopopova, founder of the London Group of Multilingual Writers, Karim Leo, the founder of Sevhage Publishers, Suddie Agema, writers,  poetry lovers and literary enthusiasts. It was an event filled with hearty banters, meaningful conversations, warmth and networking opportunities in an atmosphere charged with intellect and scholarship.

    Read Also: APC kickstarts electronic membership registration process

    The event started with a book reading where the author read interesting poems from the collection. Other writers also shared the stage by sharing bits of their literary works. Obioji, then fielded questions from some of the guests while also delving into her journey as a poet and how she has eventually published her first book.

    Obioji said her book Mother, Did You Call My Name? is something people would want to curl up in bed to read as it provides them with an imaginary warm blanket while feeling seen and taking in words that relate to their everyday lives and mental health.

    “It is a pleasure to have everyone. It’s exciting to be in a room filled with people who love art and poetry. Poetry is a reflection of our daily life, it’s a way of speaking when words are heavy. Poetry is important: it communicates to our soul and speaks up about social issues. It is also important to have poetry that carters to our emotions, something an everyday person can relate to and this is what my collection aims to achieve– to make everyone feel seen. It’s like reading your best friend’s note to you.” Obioji said while expressing gratitude to guests for honouring her with their presence.

  • Soma Apex: Voice for mental health

    Soma Apex: Voice for mental health

    In the well-lit corridors of the entertainment industry, it is easy to get lost in the spotlight. But, for Soma Apex, there is a deeper purpose behind the fame – a mission to use his voice for change and shed light on important issues, particularly mental health, in a culture where it is often overlooked.

    At first glance, Soma may seem like your typical rising star – charismatic, talented, and full of potential. But beneath the surface lies a young man grappling with his own demons, navigating the highs and lows of fame while silently battling anxiety.

    “For the longest time, I did not even know I had anxiety,” Soma admits, reflecting on his journey towards self-awareness and acceptance. “It was not until recently that I started to understand what was happening to me and how to manage it better.”

    For Soma, opening up about his struggles with mental health was not easy. In a society where mental illness is often stigmatized and misunderstood, speaking out meant confronting deep-seated taboos and challenging long-held beliefs.

    But Soma refuses to stay silent. With a platform and a voice, he recognises the power he holds to effect change, to shatter stereotypes, and to inspire others to seek help and support.

    “I want people to know that it is okay not to be okay,” Soma declares, his voice brimming with conviction. “We need to break the silence and start talking about mental health openly and honestly.”

    Through his family-friendly brand and infectious good vibes, Soma aims to create a space where difficult conversations can thrive, where people feel safe to share their stories and seek help without fear of judgment or shame.

    Read Also: Minimum wage: Tinubu directs Edun to come up with cost implications in 48 hours

    And he is not alone in his mission. With the support of his loyal fan base and the backing of The Grid Management, Soma is poised to amplify his message and spark real change in the industry and beyond.

    “I have a voice for a reason,” Soma asserts, his gaze unwavering. “And I intend to use it to make a difference, to shine a light on the issues that matter most, and to pave the way for a brighter, more inclusive future.”

    Soma’s fans can look forward to music from this entertainer in the coming months. He sees his music as an extension of his voice, mind and persona, and can get across to more people with one song, than a post or written words.

    As he continues on his journey, Soma Apex is more determined than ever to lend his voice to the fight for better mental health awareness and support. With his unwavering commitment to authenticity and his passion for making a difference, there is no doubt that Soma is destined to leave a lasting impact on the world – one conversation, one song, and one heartfelt message at a time. And with his recent partnership with The Grid Management, audiences have even more to look forward to, as Soma’s voice reaches new heights and platforms, paving the way for greater things ahead.

  • FCT education authority approves “Broken Girds” for use in secondary schools

    FCT education authority approves “Broken Girds” for use in secondary schools

    “Broken Girds” written by Stephen Ozor has been approved by government for use in all public and private secondary schools in the FCT, Abuja. 

    Ozor, whose stage name as a Master of Ceremonies is M C Frank Ozor, shared the news in stated this in an interview with reporters. 

    The play has been published by the FCT Education Resource Centre as the main text (Drama) for all secondary schools in Abuja (JS3 Class).

    “Broken girds” is the story of a young man, Eric who grows up to become a man of wealth and valour, against the odds of his uncle KEN, who denies him rightful inheritance after the death of his parents and tirelessly plots to kill him as he thinks he shall stand on his way to coveting his younger brother GODWIN’s assets. 

    Eric’s hard work, borne out of belief in self and God, has paid him off, finding out who is responsible for the sudden death of his kind-hearted parents. 

    It is to his biggest surprise to find out that his uncle whom his late parents were carrying like an egg while they were alive, who had also denied him of everything he needs to start a life and still plots his death that is responsible for the death of his parents. 

    Eric does not only have all the wealth required to fight his uncle and seek justice for his late parents, but occupies a very important position by which he can crush KEN with the snap of the finger, especially as nemesis has delivered KEN into his hands. 

    Read Also: ‘With AI, future of education is exciting’

    The battle lingered for as long as ERIC girded his heart against forgiving his uncle until the words of FR. STEVE ‘broke the girds’ of his heart and then he intervened and his uncle was healed.         

    The character, ERIC, is a model to everyone, especially the young people. 

    His sense of maturity and spirit of enterprise is what today’s young people need, to shun crime and all criminal tendencies and embrace hard work. 

    The author, though of science and engineering background, has flair for arts and communications, and is driven to the corridors of literary works and entertainment. 

    Trained in Civil Engineering, Stephen is also a certified journalist; a public speaker and a classic Master of Ceremonies. 

    He is a certified mental healthcare expert and a legislative support personnel trained by the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS).

    He has spoken at Conferences and Symposia and has anchored hundreds of corporate and social events locally and internationally.

  • Inside the life of digital marketer, Unique Kings Obi

    Inside the life of digital marketer, Unique Kings Obi

    Our Reporter

    One of Nigeria’s most renowned Digital marketer, Unique Kings Obi has given a peek into his life and what makes him tick.

    Born into the family of the Obis by Mrs Esther Obi, young Unique Kings Obi hails from Umuawa Umueshi autonomous community of Ideato South LGA in Imo State.

    The digital maestro attended his primary and secondary education at Bethel seminary in the heart of Owerri. At the tender age of 17, young Kings discovered his profound love for selling ideas, products and even people to the general public.

    The last of three children, Kings is brother to renowned Nigerian music producer and leader of Nigeria’s leading live band (Alternate Sound), Gospelondebeatz. He is also brother to the famous SperoachBeats recently brought to the limelight by his hit with Nigerian music Star 2Baba on a hit named ‘Amaka’.

    By the year 2013, when he secured admission into the Renaissance University, Enugu, Kings had already begun to harness his passion for digital distribution. He first started off by helping some of his friends who had growing music careers to distribute their music online. This kickstarted the young man’s career from what offset as a selfless service to friends, into a lifelong profession.

    In 2017, after he graduated with a Second class upper degree in Mass Communication, Unique’s career took a swift turn into the professional entertainment world. He got his first big gig as the Festival of Lights event, headlined by Burna boy, which sold out with over 4000 people in attendance.

    Kings partnered with Mavin Records in December 2018 and shut down Abuja with the help of his crew, The Capital Movement (TCM) at the hosting of Johnny’s Room Live Abuja edition; an event that sold out completely and saw all residents of the city out in their numbers and also trended no 1 in Nigeria Twitter trends.

    By the end of 2018, Kings had spearheaded the hosting of several events such as Rewind, Festival of Lights, LED love early in December, Johnny’s live room, At The Club with Remmy Martins and a whole lot more.

    In February 2019, Kings moved to Lagos in search of the land of milk and honey. Kings, who had previously been subtly involved in digital distribution and marketing, took the horse by the reins and delved full time into digital marketing.

    In no time, Kings began to spin his web in Lagos. He became the digital distributor and Marketer for Africa’s premium band Alternate Sound and not long after, was made Manager to 2016 MTN project winner- Okiemute Ighorodje.

    READ ALSO: Side hustles you can do for extra incomes

    The year 2019 birthed a huge growth in his career. By April 2019, Kings had evolved into a certified digital marketer and distributor. He began to work with popular celebrities such as Perruzi, Mayorkun, Johnny Drille, Runtown.

    Kings found himself working his way through digital marketing, certified Wikipedia Editing and Social Media accounts verification. He landed tons of jobs from top African celebrities and public figures such as Onesimus Muzik, Gwamba, Okiemute, Shepherd Bushiri, Mary Bushiri, Lord Lamba, BBN Season 5 stars Erica and Kidwaya and a lot more.

    By 2020, Kings’ portfolio began to take the shape of a PHD desertification with over 50 Wikipedia pages and Social media verified pages to his name.

    Kings now ranks as one of Nigeria’s most recommended, most renowned and most credible digital gurus. With the invent of his new enterprise, the Hub Dactila, Kings intends to mentor thousands of Nigerian youth in the digital and creative sphere. The vision of the hub is to become the new address for creators and digital masterminds.

     

  • Nickelodeon promises non-stop entertainment in June

    Nickelodeon promises non-stop entertainment in June

    Get ready for a June jam-packed with laughter, adventure, and a brand-new movie! From these funny adventures to shows with interesting twists, there’s no limit to how much the family can enjoy.

    The sneak peek at the amazing shows gracing your screens include Zokie of Planet Ruby. Viewers are expected to buckle up for a literal out-of-this-world adventure with Ruby, the 10-year-old vlogger and her tail-zapping alien from the planet Pudge.

    They can also catch new episodes of their adventure every Monday to Friday, from 6 May to 7 June, at 15:30 WAT on Nickelodeon, Channel 305 on DStv and Channel 87 on GOtv.

    The Loud House presents opportunity for a never a dull moment with the Loud family! Join Lincoln Loud and his ten chaotic sisters as they navigate the hilarious mayhem of their everyday lives.

    From rock bands in the basement to fashion shows in the living room, there’s never a shortage of laughter (and maybe a little sibling rivalry) in this energetic household.

    Viewers are expected to join them every weekday from Monday, 3 June to Friday, 14 June at 16:30 WAT on Nickelodeon, Channel 305 on DStv and Channel 87 on GOtv.

    Rock, Paper, Scissors is also on the viewers list. Rock, Paper and Scissors are three best friends who share an apartment and still compete over everything. It’s a great time with these hilarious roommates every weekday from Monday, 17 June to Friday, 28 June at 16:00 WAT on Nickelodeon, Channel 305 on DStv and Channel 87 on GOtv.

    Also on the viewing list is No Time to Spy: A Loud House Movie. Here, viewers are to join Lincoln and the Loud family as they eagerly embrace their newest member, Gran Gran Myrtle, with a joyous tropical wedding celebration. However, the jubilation takes an unexpected turn when an old nemesis from Myrtle’s secret agent past appears on the island.

    Catch the chaos on Sunday, 23 June, at 12:00 WAT and 16:15 WAT on Nickelodeon, Channel 305 on DStv and Channel 87 on GOtv.

    Nick Jr’s Barbapapa is also on the menu. The colourful Barbapapa family is back for more merry adventures! Every day is another chance for these shape-shifting blobs to have fun.

    Tune in every weekday from Monday, 27 May to Friday, 14 June, at 02:00 WAT, 11:20 WAT, 14:00 WAT, 18:30 and 23:20 WAT on Nick Jr. Channel 307 on DStv and Channel 81 on GOtv.

    In Paw Patrol, six brave puppies captained by a tech-savvy ten-year-old boy, Ryder, work together on high-risk rescue missions to safeguard the residents of Adventure Bay.

    Viewers are expected to catch new episodes of Paw Patrol every weekday from Monday, 17 June, to Friday, 28 June, at 00:45 WAT, 05:00 WAT, 06:50 WAT,12:45 WAT, 17:00 WAT and 19:05 WAT on Nick Jr. Channel 307 on DStv and Channel 81 on GOtv.

  • All roads lead to Ogidi

    All roads lead to Ogidi

    Come June 15 the annual Ogidi festival will take place. Ogidi is in Ijumu local government area of Kogi State and this annual event which involves new yam festival and other razzmatazz of cultural fiestas has come to pave a new lease both for the people and their traditions, writes Edozie Udeze.

    Ogidi is an agrarian settlement in Ijumu local government area of Kogi State. The Ogidi Day Festival which began some years ago was created by some prominent indigenes of the town as a rallying point for the people. Every June, Ogidi people, home and abroad, travel home for this epoch making event. It has come to become the most important festival in the whole of Kogi State and beyond.

    It attracts who is who not only in Kogi State but in other surrounding states and beyond. According to Tunde Ipinmisho, former editor of the Sunday Times, the fiesta symbolizes the unity of the people. He said, “on Saturday, June 15, 2024, everybody will be heading to Ogidi-Ijumu, Kogi State to savour the freshness of the Ogidi Day Festival. It is Nigeria’s biggest culture event in June”. This is so because of the tenacity and importance of this event. Therefore, every year special guests and traditional rulers from far and near are invited and honoured by Ogidi people.

    The special guest this year is Eesa Omuaran, Adekunle Oyinloye. He is the chairman of the programmes and with him and others the event will be very colourful and enticing. Ipinmisho described Oyinloye as “The Eesa (traditional Prime Minister) of the ancient Igbomina kingdom of Omuaran, Kwara State, High Chief Adekunle Abdulrazak Oyinloye is the Chairman of the Ogidi Day Festival coming up in Ogidi-Ijumu, Kogi State on Saturday, June 15, 2024.

    Read Also: ‘Tinubu steering Nigeria to sustainable development’

    Eesa Oyinloye who is the President/Chief Executive Officer, Gbose Holdings, was at various times the Managing Director, Sifax Group; Managing Director, The Infrastructure Bank Plc and Executive Director, Unity Bank Plc.

    He has had a long standing relationship with Ogidi through his brother and predecessor, Eesa Jide Adebayo who he accompanied to Ogidi when the late Eesa was made the Maiyegun Ogidi in 2014.

    A self-effacing man and a community development advocate, Eesa Oyinloye is a banker, development economist and infrastructure enthusiast.

    With a well-rounded banking and finance experience of close to 30 years, the Eesa has spent over a decade helping to shape  core infrastructure in Nigeria through Alternative Finance Initiatives (AFIs).

    Eesa Oyinloye is a Fellow, Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, Fellow, National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria and Fellow, Institite of Directors.

    It is also an occasion for traditional dancers, farmers and all sorts of masquerades come out to display their mastery of the art. Nike Okundaye, world famed artist and adire specialist will also be in attendance. Indeed Ogidi is Nike’s town and every year she and her group grace the occasion with their presence. No doubt, it will be same this year. Tourists, both foreign and local will be in attendance to savour the beauty and the merriments of this event.

  • Artists ready for the season

    Artists ready for the season

    By Israel Benamaisia

    Nigerian artists, painters, sculptors, ceramists, others, met in Lagos last week to discuss modalities and new approaches to tackle their profession henceforth. Part of the main discussion during the meeting was how to make the Octo rain group exhibition possible. Every year Society of Nigerian Artists (SNA) Lagos State chapter organizes group exhibition for all members. It is tagged Octo Rain Exhibition in which all willing members exhibit one or two art pieces. So the meeting, apart from deliberating on this, had time to look into other pressing areas.

    The Society of Nigerian Artists (SNA) Lagos Chapter meeting held last week was indeed a departure from the usual. It was conducted quite differently from previous meetings.  The meeting indeed was not business as usual as none members of the executive council of the Society came to realize.

    The first hints that the gathering was going to be different from what members were already accustomed to; became quite apparent upon   arrival at the venue, when they saw that the sitting arrangements had been altered.

    Read Also: Kano Emirate: Lagos NNPP hails Gov. Yusuf over Sanusi’s re-enthronement

    Members were surprised to see that the seats had been arranged in rows of circles starting from a small inner circle in the middle and other circles arranged around this core circle each circle larger than the one before it just like rows of petals on a rose bush. the usual high table for the executive council was

     Conspicuously absent, however there were three or four aisle leading to the circle in the middle.

    The Vice-chairman Ayoola Omovo kicked off the event with a brief welcome address followed by a short prayer by a member. Waffles were served to keep everyone’s mouths busy and before long drinks and small Chops followed.

    We were all happy, members of the executive council seemed to be in an even happier mood, every one of them had been returned to office unopposed in an election held only last April. They had performed exceptionally well and indeed deserved their second terms in office.

    While the eating and drinking was going on, the Chairman of the Chapter Prince Kola Olojo Kosoko presented Certificates of membership to newly inducted members of the Chapter.

    This was then followed by the inauguration of the Octoberrain 2024 organizing Committee.

    There was a loud applause when Israel Benamaisia was named the Chairman of the Committee, this excitement was because of his track record for delivery of previous mandates given to him by the Society. This done this the merriment continued until a young member Christian Opkananke asked for permission to soeak on a matter that is of concern to him as a young professional.

    He was given the nod to speak so he spoke about his frustration on the low patronage of   Water Color as a medium of art, he said he has a passion for painting in water color but the low patronage of the medium by collectors was discouraging him.

    One of those who responded to his complaint was Sheesh Adelakun who advised the artist not to be discouraged by the low patronage that he was currently experiencing but that he should be patient and continue to pursue his passion, he said that with time he might start to gain recognition as a good water Colorist, he advised him to make a habit of attending water color workshops to polish his skills, fraternize with other water color enthusiasts and

     possibly also meet water Color collectors at exhibitions organized to showcase works done at the workshops.He told us the story of how one of the most recognizable Water Color painters in the country Sam Ovariati made his first brake as a Water Color painter. He then went on to narrate how he himself consciously participated in a Water Color painters workshop organized by Sam Ovariati, with two goals in mind, One was to fraternize with other artist with the shared passion with possibility of learning new techniques and to possibly also meet water Color collectors. He said that at the end he was able to accomplish all of these goals. He said that a couple of months later he too organized a Water Color workshop of his own at his Studios, he said that he was surprised at the positive responses he got from art collectors when he posted images and information about the workshop on his Social media pages.

    Other interventions were by Victor Assam and Israel Benamaisia who encouraged the artist, urging him to do away with any notion that there something wrong with his art, stating that the problem was actually the lack of proper art appreciation by many art patrons and collectors, he stated that a good art collector would not consider Water Color painting as being inferior to art in any other medium. He said in developed countries whether in Europe America or Asia, that there are even Water Color Societies and associations for Water Color artists, an indication that Water Color painting is a specialized industry with its own enthusiasts and patrons who appreciate the medium and fund it through patronage.

    Views and opinions on various aspects of the art industry continued to be discussed and before long our time was spent, so the last one hour available was used for a dance and Karaoke session.

    Henceforth, SNA Lagos will continue to address pressing issues affecting members and finding ways to let everybody benefit from the society.