Founder and CEO Nike Art Gallery, Lekki, Lagos, Chief Nike Davies-Okundaye is an award-winning artist and textile designer. At her different arts centres across the country, she empowers women and youths by teaching them how to make Adire fabrics. Last Wednesday, in appreciation of her contributions to the arts and network, she was appointed by South Korean Government as 2030 Busan World Expo Goodwill Ambassador. Venue of the conferment ceremony was Nike Art Gallery, Lekki, Lagos. Assistant Editor (Arts) OZOLUA UHAKHEME reports.

As the government of South Korea intensifies efforts at winning the hosting rights for 2030 World Expo, Korea Ambassador to Nigeria, Ambassador Young-Chae Kim has conferred on Nigeria’s foremost female artist and founder Nike Art Gallery, Chief Nike Davies- Okundaye the 2030 Busan World Expo goodwill ambassador. The conferment ceremony, which attracted officials of Korean embassy, representatives of Korean business groups and some Nigerian artists, was held at Nike Art Gallery, Lekki Lagos last Wednesday.

Ambassador Kim said the choice of Nike as goodwill ambassador for Busan 2030 World Expo is in full recognition of her exceptional achievements and acknowledgement of her hard work, perseverance, dedication and team spirit, which she demonstrates in her practice as a successful artist.

He described Nike as one of Nigeria’s most successful batik and Adire artists, saying she is a champion in support of African artists and women. This honour from Korea is coming 22 years after Nike designed the Nigerian Pavilion at the 2000 World Expo in Hannover, Germany.

“With the conferment of the goodwill ambassador, Nike Okundaye will play a vital role in promoting the Republic of Korea and Busan in Lagos as well as Nigeria and West Africa until the voting day for the 2030 World Expo site selection scheduled for November 2023. The Korean Embassy and Nike Art Gallery will continue to promote cultural cooperation just as they co-hosted the Nigerian Female Art Exhibition held in March, this year,” he said.

Extolling the virtues of Nike, the ambassador said in spite of the many challenges she went though, Nike rose to global prominence. “She is hard working and very dedicated to her practice, which she is using to help young Nigerians in spite of the economic challenges. Nike’s story is like that of Korea. But today, Korea has a wide base for manufacturing; it is also emerging as a world super power in culture,” he added, noting that Nigeria and Korea have many things in common as Nike represents the face and soul of Nigeria culturally.

In her response, Nike commended the ambassador for the honour, describing the former as “ambassador of the people’’ and a man who would risk his own life just to see the culture of Nigeria,” adding, “He loves Nigeria and Nigeria loves him.”

Excited by the honour, Nike’s husband Mr. Reuben Okundaye, said this ‘is what I want to see in her life, recalling that in 2000, Nike was invited by Hanover World Expo in Germany to contribute to the expo. When I heard of this honour from Korea, I jumped for joy.’

He also described the Ambassador as a man of the people, citing an instance when he braved insecurity in parts of Kogi State to visit their hometown, Ogidi together with a Korean delegation.

“I want to thank you for that confidence you had in us. Nigeria is like anywhere in the world with some security challenges.” Expressing his optimism, he said Busan would win the 2030 bid, especially with the “good luck” of Nike associated with it.

In June 2021, the Republic of Korea submitted a letter of candidature to the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) to organise World Expo 2030 in the city of Busan.  The Republic of Korea’s candidature is based on the theme Transforming Our World, Navigating Toward a Better Future, and if successful, the EXPO would take place in Busan’s North Port district between May 1 and  October 31, 2030. In close partnership with the Korean Embassy, Nike will deepen and widen the support base for the Busan EXPO to her gallery visitors as well as extend her network of friends and patrons.

Busan, the candidate city, is Korea’s second-largest city and the largest port city with excellent infrastructure. The city has been a hub of transportation and logistics and a gateway at the intersection of the Eurasian continent and the Pacific Ocean. Busan represents the past, present, and future of Korea.  It has played a crucial role in Korea’s growth, from one of the poorest countries receiving economic aid to a donor country. During the Korean War, the city was home to a million refugees. The Busan Spirit embodies the World EXPO values of education, innovation, and cooperation.

The event was attended by MD Refund Business Technologies Ltd Dr. Kensington Okundaye, Executive  Programme Director, Culture Advocates Caucus Jahman Anikulapo, Dean of Arts & Humanities, New York University, Abu Dhabi Prof. Awam Amkpa and Dr. Ryan Connor, University of Bristol. Others were Dr. Bolaji Ogunwo, University of Lagos, President International Federation of Interior Designers Association of Nigeria Titi Ogunfere, CEO/ Project Director, Solution17 Green Ms. Foluke Michael, Head of Tourism, Culture and Arts, Sterling Bank Mrs Abiola Adelana and General Manager, The George Hotel, Lagos, Judd Lehmann.

The dream of Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of making Ondo State, Nigeria’s choice tourist destination is near realisation as the governor has moved the project a notch higher. He declared one of the state’s rural and rustic enclaves, Araromi, with the best beach front in Nigeria, as a Tourism Zone last week.

It will be the first community in the history of Nigerian tourism to be officially declared a Tourism Zone. The new move would see to the development and transformation of the rural community into a thriving blue economy for the benefit of the global business and leisure travellers as well as the locals.

The project is in conjunction with La Campagne Tropicana Beach Resort, latching on the expertise of the founder of the multiple awards–winning Otunba Wanle Akinboboye, a major stakeholder on tourism development in the state.

The governor unfolded his vision for Araromi, which is located in Igbokoda, Ilaje Local Government Area of the State, after a strategic meeting with Akinboboye in his Alagbaka, Akure office. In attendance were the Deputy Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa; the Chief of Staff, Chief Olugbenga Ale; Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Wale Akinlosotu; and the Special Adviser on Union Matters and Special Duties, Dare Aragbaye.

According to the governor, it was time to develop the huge potentials of the state in tourism, using a new approach, hence the declaration of Araromi beach front as Tourism Zone, noting that the development of the project will be in partnership with La Campagne Tropicana Beach Resort, with a view to replicating the success stories of tourism as evident in other climes, with particular reference to Dubai.

‘‘We have reached an agreement to declare our waterfronts or shores, where we have a lot of advantages in the country, a Tourism Zone,” said Akeredolu.

Akinboboye applauded the governor for this bold move, assuring him of the huge benefits that it would bring to the state, especially in the area of infrastructure development and job creation as well as in transforming the rural community into a fast growing economic and tourist destination of first choice.

According to him, of the 840 kilometers of beach front that Nigeria has, Ondo State boasts 200 kilometers, which is the longest, most naturally endowed, pristine and the best. Therefore, it has limitless potentials that can beat any beach front community in the world.

“I am sure you are aware that there is 840 kilometers of beachfront in Nigeria across six states in which Ondo State has the longest, with almost 200 kilometers of it,’’ Akinboboye said.

Continuing, he said: “The entire Dubai has a total of 70 kilometers of beachfront; they welcome over 15.9 million visitors every year. Just imagine if they spend a thousand dollars, multiply by 15.9 million people; that is what Mr. Governor wants to replicate, to bring the entire world here. “We have the richest ocean because of limited operations of trolleys, so our sea is extremely rich with different species of fish, prawns and the entire tourism activities that we believe very strongly will not only attract just Nigerians, but Africans in Diaspora.

“A declaration like this will attract the world to that area for business opportunities. With this declaration, we in the state would have built a humongous platform for tomorrow’s people.

“The platform we are standing on today was built by yesterday’s people. Mr. Governor has begun the process to build the platform for tomorrow’s people.”

Like Butterflies Scattered about by Art Rascals, a book by Umar Sidi, a naval commander with the Nigerian Navy, was unveiled recently in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. The book is coming three years after the release of his first collection of poetry, The Poet of Dust.

The event brought both military and civilian personalities together. The Commander of the Navy Base, NNS Pathfinder, Commodore Ibrahim Suleiman, represented by Navy Captain Stanley Umeh, Officer-in- Charge of Fleet Support Unit, NNS Pathfinder, Lt. Col, A. Oteri, Wife of Renowned author, Prof Preye Amadi, and Chairman, Association of Nigerian Authors, Rivers State chapter,  Sadi Wali graced the event. There were also music performances by the Naval band and dramatic performances of the poems by Suzzane and Chiromi, Voices of the Creeks, and Husayn Zanguru.

The book reviewer, Dr Ismail Bala, said the new work is grounded in expressionism similar to the New York Poets, while steeped in the core of Surrealist writers and painters. He also noted that unlike the conventional Nigerian poetry, his work explores philosophy, perspectives on poetry, and painting, without losing its mischief, verse, and hold on its reader.

Dr. Bala compared Sidi’s work and creative balance to that of Wallace Stevens, a leading modernist American poet who was a lawyer and insurance executive. “He rose to become one of the best American writers for all generations.” He said, for Stevens and Sidi, “their profession does not limit their writing, nor do they reflect in their writing like other poets”. He also stressed that Sidi’s work is not conventional and therefore does not bear the academic structures that have become the staple of Nigerian poetry for years. ”Sidi writes a kind of poetry that I believe is non-conventional. It means you have to be very good at it (poetry), he added.”

Poet and lecturer, Dr Gomba said, “I want to thank your employer for posting you to Port Harcourt. The attendance here shows that you are welcome to the city. He advised that everyone can produce art, noting that everyone needed to look inwards to find and “mine the depths of his or her creativity”.  Gomba stressed that Sidi’s work deploys a rare kind of inter-textuality that bears the density of impressions from novels, poems, paintings, and ancient texts among others.

He said, “Most people think that for an African poet to be authentic, you have to focus on the experiences of the African landscape, but here is a field of thought that brings a totality of life that can be experienced by the reader.”

In response to the question of how he balances the strict observance of his military duties with the rebellious nature of poetry, Sidi said: “In the military, you have different branches and professions, some are in the band, some are in education, some are medical doctors. I always tell people that we have duty periods and off-duty periods, and it is what you do with your time that matters. So, I use my spare time to read, study, reflect and write.”

Capt. Umeh said he discovered Sidi’s works in The Valiant; the Nigerian Defence Academy Magazine, while Sidi was in his first year as a cadet. At that point, he felt that the work that the “clown” was been assigned was not tasking enough for him, such that he could create spare time to write. However, with time he began to realise that Sidi was both a dedicated Navy personnel, as well as a consistent writer.  “The Navy and armed forces will always support you, and give you a platform to thrive,” he said.

Oron is situated in the west bank of Cross River in Calabar Province, Southern Nigeria and they have elaborated carved figures called Ekpu, which represents the male ancestors.

They are  the most important antiquities or works of art in the area and are probably the oldest group of wood-carvings surviving in Nigeria. No new ones are being made now. No one can say how old they are, but it is agreed that they must have been made many generations ago. Although the Oron clan is classed as belonging to Ibibio tribe, the Ekpu is quite unlike Ibibio work; nor resemble any other style in Nigeria.

The carvings vary in height from about one foot to five feet, but the majority average about three feet. They are uncoloured. Each carving represents a particular ancestor but only men are represented in this way. A pot is the women’s symbol. When a man died and before his second burial ceremony, a carving will be made to represent him. The size and the elaborateness depend on the importance and wealth of the individual. A childless or junior member of a family is usually represented by a plain stick. Each branch of an Ekpu has an ancestral symbol.

It is believed that the spirit of the dead man had some connection with the carving. It is a shrine where his spirit could be conveniently approached, sacrifice were made before the Ekpu twice a year, when the new farms were started and during harvest.

The village headman made the chief sacrifice at the village shrine, but each family had its ceremony under the eldest member at their own shrine. Sacrifices were also made at other times on the instruction of a native doctor.

Their heads are specially striking in appearance with long pointed beards and a dignified ascetic look like, the elder they are representing. They have narrow bodies and bulbous stomachs, this may be probably the challenge the carver faced in converting a tree trunk to a human being in an elongated cylinder. This would have compelled to reduce the width of the torso in order to give full value to the head and stomach and to make room for the arm within the shape of the cylinder. On the hands, are always ceremonial staffs or horn. The stomach has kind of onion shape.

The lower part of the stomach curves inwards to the waist which is marked by a ring of the full circumference of the cylinder. This is decorated in the finest carvings with a chevron pattern which gives the appearance of a frill. Directly beneath this ring is the membrane virile, which is not emphasised and the legs.

All the Ekpu have a kind of headgear carved on top of their heads, but it is often hard to tell whether a hat or form of coiffure is represented.

Some certainly have top-hats, but the majority balance a more or less conical or bun-shape object. Some have small effigies’ carved on their stomachs or resting on their forearms.

• Adeseri is of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Lagos

• Title: The Roots

• Author: Jeremiah Oyebode

• Reviewer: Gloria Okezie-Okafor

• Publisher: SCLK UK

• Pagination: 97

From knowing your ancestral lineage and interacting with people who share the same bloodline with you, and avoiding the costly mistake of marriage or sex, to understanding that what you sow is what you reap, and believing in your dreams, The Roots, an anthology of short stories, serves as a moral compass and guide to everyday living.

Aside dealing with everyday life experiences, the author, Jeremiah Oyebode, espouses contentment, patience and morality in a decadent society. The stories are well crafted and interesting; with about three or four of them catching the immediate attention of this reviewer. They include “What Goes Around”, “A Life Mystery”, and “The Other Side’s Pain”.

In the anthology, Jeremiah Oyebode tells a story within a story. In fact, all the stories are well cut out for both young and mature readers. Young people, most especially, will find tales like The Roots, Secrets, Ego, and The Rewards For Persistence” directly appealing to them. Nonetheless, stories like “I Want To Be Like You” and “The Other Side’s Pain” greatly deliver on the lessons they teach, while also making for exciting reads.

As a pointer, The Roots, which is the opening chapter as well as the book’s title, talks about the need for young people to ask questions concerning the background of their intending life partners, in order to avoid marrying or having sex with a distant relation, since such act whether done by omission or commission, is a taboo in the African tradition.

If wishes were horses, Oyebode would ride and ensure the teaching profession is elevated to an enviable status in Nigeria. In “I Want To Be Like You”, the author celebrates the virtues of the teaching profession, which in our society is very much looked down upon.

Despite the powerful role of teachers in imparting knowledge and strong morals to their students, one of whom may later become the president of a nation, their rewards are often said to be in heaven.

If only Oyebode’s thoughts about the recognition of teachers in Nigeria could be adopted, this set of professionals will find themselves living a blissful life. But, as they say, fiction isn’t reality. Perhaps, that’s why university teachers could be on strike for almost six months and government seems not to care.

“The Other Side’s Pain” chronicles the travails of a young lady who is infected with HIV by accident. But rather than opening up, she keeps mum about it and isolates herself from her family and colleagues at school. The secrecy causes her more pain. But in the end, when the parents discover the reason for her depression, they rally round and help lift the burden off her.

Published by SCLK UK with the cover designed by Femi Osewa, The Roots, a book of nearly 100 pages, makes for an interesting read. However, some of the stories appear as though they were hurriedly written to arrive at a conclusion. The tonality of the work is not diverse but streamlined, as Oyebode appears to be writing from one point of view. But then, the stories seem to gather momentum towards the end of the book. One only needs to be patient to read through to get to the crux of the stories. Also, the author needs to look out for typos and ensure there is proper editing in subsequent editions of the book.

Jeremiah Oyebode’s works have appeared in several publications in Nigeria. He has contributed articles and essays for many newspapers and digital platforms. Born in Nigeria but now resides in the United Kingdom, the author is also a public speaker on contemporary issues. At his pace, Oyebode looks promising to carve a place for himself in the pantheon of the literary stars.

Nigeria’s dominance of West Africa’s bourgeoning sports and cultural tourism industry will receive a boost at the annual Argungu Polo tournament and cultural fete holding between September 8 and 10. This year’s tournament and fete will hold at the sprawling NSK Polo Ranch and Resort in Argungu, Kebbi State.

Argungu Polo Tournament and Culture Fete has over the years lived-up to its billing as one of the most spectacular and massively visited African Polo and cultural tourism festival in Nigeria. More so, Argungu is one of Nigeria’s historically significant towns and the host town of UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage asset in Nigeria – the famous Argungu International Fishing and Cultural Festival.

Since inception in 2016, leading polo teams from popular Nigerian Polo Clubs have regularly featured in the prestigious Polo Tournament. Over the years, the tournament organizers have consistently rallied stakeholders in the polo and tourism communities and corporate Nigeria to partner in making the event more beneficial to the rural host economies. It will be recalled that NSK Ranch & Resort started hosting the Polo Tournament in Keffi, Nasarawa State and now holds the event in Argungu, Kebbi State.

In recent years of the event, cultural entertainment groups from neighbouring West African countries have been enchanting players, residents, visitors and tourists with awe-inspiring traditional performances, including groups from Niger Republic, Benin Republic and the host destination, the ancient kingdom of Argungu, now referred as Argungu Emirate.

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The Emirate’s territory spans parts of North-Western Nigeria and Southern Niger Republic. Participating clubs in the tournament will be contesting for the prestigious cups such as Governor’s Cup, Sultan’s Cup, Emir of Argungu’s Cup, Emir of Kano’s Cup, King Appolos Chu’s Cup, Lai Mohammed’s Cup, Shehu Kangiwa’s Cup and Abubakar Dangiwa Umar’s Cup, among other laurels. Six polo teams will take part in the tournament in Argungu.

The teams listed include NSK Farms Team, H. Hago Team, Ayatun Team, JRB Solar Team, NIHOTOUR Team and Osolo Team.

The Patron of Argungu Polo Tournament and Cultural Fete, Alhaji Nura Sani Kangiwa, who also holds the traditional title of the ‘Turakin Kebbi’, promised that activities lined-up for this year’s tourney and fete will surpass previous editions’. He stated that not less than 24 polo players, some of whom are the best in Nigeria, and over 80 Polo horses will be involved in the tournament for 3 consecutive days, in the pristine town of Argungu.

The Turaki assured that this year there will be more emissaries, international dignitaries and foreign governments’ officials in attendance at the event. He further clarified that cultural entertainment groups from West African countries have confirmed their participation and are currently making arrangements accordingly. Some of the traditional displays at the event will be culinary arts, traditional wrestling, camel racing, horse racing, mini-durbar, folk dancing, bull fighting, and many other uncommon traditional spectacles.