Modern master, Abayomi Barber’s painting titled Yemoja as well as other rare pieces from contemporary masters form the bulk f lots the 2025 edition of Sogal Art Auction.
As the 11th auction in the yearly event, which is also themed Yemoja, It opens for preview on Wednesday, 29 Oct 2025-Friday, 31 Oct 2025, 12:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m., daily at Signature Beyond Gallery, 107, Awolowo Road Ikoyi, Lagos, Ikoyi, Lagos. The auction starts at the same venue, also online on Sunday, 2 November, 2025, from 5:30 p.m.–8:30 p.m.
While works of the modern masters in the auction tell the rich history of African art, those of the young generations complement the robustness of the continent’s collections. Among such rare works from the contemporary masters for the auction is ‘Single Room — A Story of Resilience and Togetherness’, by Ogbemi Heyman.
Heyman’s strokes render more than just a painting of people at rest, but also mirrors their shared humanity, within confinement, of dignity amid scarcity. The artist reminds people that even in the smallest spaces, there is warmth, love, and life unbroken.
Heyman’s ‘Single Room’, placed as Lot 83, will be among the remarkable works of the Sogal Auction, so observers predicted. The piece, like other lots in the Sogal auction, has been described as “a celebration of African art that tells our stories honestly and beautifully.”
For the theme of the auction, ‘Yemoja’, it derives its name from the mythology of the water goddess as captured by late modernist, Abayomi Barber (1928-2021). Barber’s Yemoja, oil on canvas painting dated 1990, celebrates the master’s rendition of the water scenery and imposing figure of the goddess Yemoja. The painting also revisits the mastery of Barber’s strokes when it comes to realism painting.
Also featuring in the 11th Sogal auction are Rah – Bird Mask (Lot 4, 1998), Ogaga Tuodeinye – Untitled (Lot 12, 1992), Amos Okosun Odion – Untitled (Lot 34, 2011), Ben Osawe – Untitled (Lot 35, 1997), Gbenga Offo – Have You Heard (Lot 38, 2005), Sam Ebohon – Untitled (Lot 42, 1993), Idowu Otun – Untitled (Lot 43, 1992), Jimoh Buraimoh – Approach I (Lot 48, 2007), Nsikak Essien – Untitled (Lot 49) and Obi Ekwenchi – Untitled (Lot 60, 1990). Among others are Chuks Anyanwu – Untitled (Lot 61, 1986), Muraina Oyelami – Human Shadow (Lot 65, 1994), Uche Okeke – Untitled (Lot 69, 1958), Jean Martinique Gensin (Côte d’Ivoire) – Untitled (Lot 84), Tony Nsofor – Yellow (Lot 90, 2007), Soly Cissé (Senegal) – Untitled (Lot 102, 1998), and Clary Nelson Cole – Untitled I, II, III (Lot 106, 1990).
In reality, Sogal is the only surviving art auction in Nigeria in the past three or more years since the others retreated for whatever reason. “Happy that Signature is continuing to fly the flag for the creative sector!,” observers of Lagos secondary market stated. “Brutal business conditions but fortune favours the brave!”
Each work reveals a distinct vision, yet together they form a tapestry of African expression — tracing lines of memory, identity, and transformation across time and territory.
Rahman Akar of Signature Beyond enthused that in the past 10 years, Sogal auction has become a viable platform for established and emerging artists, who took the opportunity to showcase works of the past such as iconic pieces that are as old as the 1950s as well as energetic and vibrant works of today’s contemporary artists. He added that his gallery “pour our heart and soul into curating this collection, ensuring that every piece refects the rich diversity and depth of African art.”
It was titled Cultural and Creative Industries Forum. But the aim is to continually facilitate ways to recreate wealth from cultural properties and make the creative economy not only boom but thoroughly effective. People from all over the world gathered in Lagos last week under the aegis of Forum Creation Africa Lagos to make that creation possible. It was a conference co-sponsored by the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs. Edozie Udeze was there.
For three days last week, Lagos was busy. Africans, home and abroad, alongside some Europeans, Americans and Asians converged in Lagos to discuss cultures, creative economy and other various properties that translate cultures into wealth. Themed Forum Creation Africa Lagos, the international conference put together by Forum Creation Africa concentrated on cultural and creative industries forum. Essentially, the aim is to bring to the fore the very core reasons why different cultural elements in Africa can be harnessed to create wealth. This was why the French Prime Minister, Emmanuel Macron while declaring the event open decided that Africa must lead the rest of the world in the areas of culture, arts, film-making, painting, afrobeat, music, writing and lots more in this new epoch.
The crowd that gathered from different parts of the world made the Balmoral portion of the Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, venue of the conference boisterous. Each participant came fully loaded to learn and also encourage more ideas that would prosper Africa in the areas of culture and the creative economy. The Forum Creation Africa, was prepared to showcase their love for what is African. In a statement, it is clear that this forum began in 2023 in Paris, France. In that year, the first edition of the forum was organized by the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs.
During that first meeting over 323 African guests, and 35 African nations were in attendance. This was apart from over eighty French companies that participated in that particular Forum Creation Africa. It was the huge success of that first experience that encouraged the French government to renew its ambition to bring this year’s version to Lagos, Nigeria. Fortunately, the turn out was huge. With eager and enthusiastic participants in attendance, the organizers set the ball rolling. There were different forums, different groups, different segments, all put in place to discuss different important areas to create and encourage the creative economy.
Ideas bubbled endlessly. Artists were zealous about what must make the sector excel. Cultural and creative industries in Africa must be made to produce wealth and create jobs. Curated by MansA – Maison des Mondes Africains (House of African Worlds) with support from many important corporate bodies in France, the forum noted that Africa “has already positioned itself as a unique platform for cooperation and forward – thinking dialogue, between her and Europe”. And so the film that served as the opening teaser was a true manifestation of what Africans could do with their cultural resources. Titled Yohance – we are all superheroes, the film was full of cultural identities based on African experiences. It was more of animation with robots. The idea was to showcase a world where Africa had taken over the technology of the world based on their indigenous know-how.
And truly the film caught the audience unaware. The concept was suspenseful. The level of robots-infused ideas inspired the people. Incidentally, the team that produced the film did so through web. They did not meet face to face to canvas for the ideas until when they met in Lagos. The artists came from South Africa, America, Botswana and other African nations. All black, the concept of the motion pictures, what it captured and so on thrilled beyond imagination. Therefore Yohance as a woman is an influencer. A fictional creation, Yohance took a long process to produce. It is a fictional world of a woman, a woman in Africa who has come to conquer the earth. Her ideas are weird, well beyond the ordinary.
In the process of the production, over 90% of the concepts were borrowed from different African cultural backgrounds and settings. What you see therefore are paintings, crafts, designs and insignias in African concepts. The flying objects of animation, the shooting figures in forms of robots are all black. The buildings, the sights and all figurative objects and images adorn African styles. This concept made the opening ceremony after Macron’s speech quite entertaining. People were wired to think deeper for more new concepts. Indeed the booming sounds of the film, with deep South African and Ethiopian cultures improved the actions in the motions. The sounds were fast, the tempo of the motions evoked emotions. The moments evoked global appeal because no continent can operate in a vacuum, after all it is a global village.
Yohance has the visual effects that every firm producer can always be proud of. The audience became enthralled from start to finish. It is indeed a pan African project orchestrated to put the continent ahead. Africa is the base of rich cultural elements. Now it is time to harness them all for the good of all. That is what the forum aimed to achieve. Yohance, according to Marie Lara Mungai, one of the moderators, is done to showcase the future of civilization in Africa. It is also a glimpse of what is to come when Africa would have taken over world civilization. David Adeleke, one of the anchors of the show confirmed that it is what Africa would look like in the nearest future. It is to remake Africa. It is a product of one year of hard work, gathering ideas from all over to make it rich and realistic.
In Yohance, African cultures converge, ideas ferment. The time for true African spirit, African stories beckon in the film. It is based on the past, the present and the future. In it you see the old implements of war – spears, arrows, swords, arms and then you also see modern war implements of bombs, guns, rockets with robots and animations fully in control. Old and modern artistic designs equally merge together to form full effects in the film.
The conference shifted attention to MansA as a body. It is a unique cultural institution that specialises in bringing together old and new artists to forge ahead. More than that, it is a body that celebrates true stories that inspire and recreate wealth. And most often their focus is on the ideas that enhance Africa as a continent of very refreshing ideas and dialogues. This is why it is called a factory of new imaginaries, where art, and cultural industries meet to improve on the creative economy.
So MansA was able to take the different peoples, with different ideas while in Lagos to meet the curatorial teams, those who made the artworks, concepts visible in the halls, on the walls and in the streets and the surroundings within the venue. Anieze Osakwe was there in charge of TV series, so also was Ariane Suveg, who handled animation. There were Joelle Epee for webtoon, Milcos for Digital Fashion and Bukola Akingbade for video games.
Eyram Tawia handled AR/VR, while Nicolas Auriault took charge of sound design, as different rooms hosted different sessions. Yvonne Muinde, Fif Tobossi, Nelly Wandji, Hugo Obi and others took over the morning sessions on different topics. In the way our stories belong to all, dominated global audiences even as the decolonial shifts and emerging creators took over. Indeed the ideas were vast and diverse and somewhat intimidating when you also had the role of women in cultural investments. This session had women all bristling with joy. Speakers in these forums were diverse and full of creative ideas and inspirations. Some came from Africa, others from America and Europe. Asians also took charge of some sensitive sessions. It was a global world dwelling on the continent of Africa and the global civilization of tomorrow.
Culture is indeed the way of life and the epicenter of it all. Africa is hereby recreating the richness that would move the world to the next level and that level was re-enacted in Lagos. During the industry talks sessions, African works and narratives were placed at the heart of the global conversations. The heat built up more as fashion took centre stage. Issues of comics, were tabled and highlighted. There was that ample moment when sound design and how to spot African audiovisual production predominated.
It was good to see some portions of the sessions dwelling on how to put creativity at the heart of the game, making co-production work, enticing future financing, demystifying distribution once and for all and lots more. There were also moments for workshops, clinic sessions, and other platforms that further deepened the essence of the conference.
In the end, some of the participants and artists visited the new African shrine at Ikeja to feel the vibes of Felabration. It was also an ample moment to witness the creation of Afrobeats, a brainchild of Fela, being spearheaded now by Femi, Seun and other African musicians from all over the world.
Music fans are being treated to a landmark cross-continental partnership with the release of “Body Go,” a new single pairing Ghana’s rising star MOLIY with South Africa’s Grammy-awarded artist TYLA.
According to The track is out now across all digital service providers via gamma.
“Body Go” masterfully intertwines the diverse sounds of R&B, Pop, Amapiano, and Afrobeats into a cohesive and irresistible groove. The track stands as a testament to the power of Pan-African collaboration, merging MOLIY’s Ghanaian influences with TYLA’s South African flair to create a confident, movement-driven anthem for a global audience.
The single arrives on the heels of MOLIY’s unprecedented success with “Shake It To The Max – FLY [Remix],” a track that soared past one billion streams and dominated international charts. “Body Go” is positioned as the natural successor—a vibrant, high-energy declaration meant to soundtrack moments of freedom, friendship, and rhythmic unity.
XL Creative Hub has announced the debut of Battle of the Beats Season 1, the country’s first-ever Afrobeats production reality show.
According to a statement by the Hub’s Business Manager, Clement Makinde, the 12-day musical contest will run from November 1 to 12, 2025, with live streaming on YouTube.
Makinde said the show would feature six top Afrobeats producers in a high-energy creative contest, judged by experienced industry professionals.
“Watch six carefully selected producers locked in an intense camp, creating beats under pressure while professional judges evaluate every production,” the organisers said.
He noted that participation in the show is completely free, adding, “We are not collecting a dime from any participant.”
The competition will kick off on November 1, followed by an elimination night on November 8, and the grand finale on November 12, when the top three producers will compete for the top prize.
Winners will receive ₦500,000 for first place, ₦300,000 for second, and ₦200,000 for third.
Following the producers’ contest, artists across Nigeria will be invited to record songs using the winning beats and compete for major rewards between November 12 and 24, 2025.
Artists can participate by downloading the winning beat, recording a song, creating a video, and submitting their entries via Instagram or the official website.
The artist segment offers even bigger prizes — ₦1 million and a label contract for the winner, ₦500,000 for second place, and ₦300,000 for third.
Winners will be determined through a combination of public votes and professional judging, with voting scheduled from November 12 to 25, 2025.
Makinde said the initiative seeks to bridge the gap between grassroots creativity and professional opportunity by giving talented producers and artists access to world-class production resources, regardless of financial background or location.
He said, “Battle of the Beats seeks to discover raw talent, document Afrobeats’ evolution, inject funds directly into the creative economy, and build a transparent annual platform that launches real careers.
“We urged music lovers to follow @battleofthebeatsshow on Instagram and tune in for the show’s premiere on November 1, 2025.
“This is your moment don’t miss a beat,” Makinde declared.
In the short term, the competition aims to launch at least three professional careers, deliver measurable economic impact, and build a 50,000-member YouTube community. Its long-term vision targets Pan-African expansion, prize pools worth ₦25 to ₦30 million, and recognition alongside major music awards.
The organisers said the project directly tackles issues of industry gatekeeping, producer undervaluation, and limited exposure by creating a transparent, inclusive, and sustainable creative platform.
The judges include Nnaemeka Ugochukwu Onusiriuka professionally known as Mr. Mekoyo, Tunde Akinsanmi of Styl plus and Manasseh Mashi popularly known as Monlee Mane.
Mekoyo is a versatile Nigerian musician, music producer, songwriter, and multi-talented instrumentalist. He gained national recognition as the producer of Styl-Plus’s highly acclaimed hit single “Olufunmi,” a timeless classic that remains one of Nigeria’s most celebrated love songs. Over the years, Mekoyo’s name has appeared on numerous album credits as a producer, composer, and songwriter, solidifying his reputation as one of Nigeria’s most respected creative minds. Manasseh is a music producer and an artiste.
Nigeria’s music industry, long celebrated for exporting Afrobeats and other indigenous sounds to global audiences, is entering a new phase of strategic growth. Beyond international recognition, the sector is now focused on building sustainable frameworks that help artists convert influence into lasting commercial success.
Leading this transformation are homegrown companies such as Riju Music and Maxtreme Inc., which are pioneering innovative models to strengthen Nigeria’s global music footprint.
Maxtreme Inc., founded by Marvel Umoh and Sampson Malachy, is driving cross-border collaborations that go beyond traditional licensing deals. The company has facilitated remix projects linking emerging Nigerian artists like Swayvee with established talents in countries such as South Africa and Ghana—helping artists gain credibility with new audiences while expanding their regional reach.
Similarly, Riju Music, led by Kyellu Tsamdu, is redefining how artists connect with the right international labels. Its artist–distribution/label matching system focuses on pairing musicians with partners that specialize in their genres and understand their target audiences. This precision-based strategy aims to improve market entry and long-term growth.
Riju’s collaboration with Tribl Records, a Grammy-winning gospel label, exemplifies this model. By placing African gospel acts within Tribl’s established network, Riju enables artists to maintain authenticity while tapping into receptive global markets.
Industry experts note that artists aligned with strategically matched partners tend to achieve stronger streaming performance and revenue growth than those relying on broad distribution deals.
According to PwC’s Global Entertainment & Media Outlook, Nigeria’s entertainment and media market is projected to grow from $9 billion in 2023 to $13.6 billion by 2028, representing an annual growth rate of 8.6%. Realizing this potential will depend on infrastructure that supports global integration through innovation and strategic alignment.
By advancing models focused on collaboration, precision marketing, and cross-border partnerships, companies like Riju Music and Maxtreme Inc. are helping to build a more resilient and globally competitive Nigerian music industry. Their innovation-driven strategies are not only elevating artists but also contributing to Nigeria’s broader economic diversification and creative sector growth.
Former United States Vice President Kamala Harris is set to participate in a conversation with renowned Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie at the London Literature Festival on Thursday, October 23.
Harris’ book reflects on her brief but intense presidential campaign, offering readers an insider view of the challenges, lessons, and emotions behind the scenes.
“I look forward to being in conversation with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie on Thursday as part of the London Literature Festival,” Harris tweeted.
The event is part of Harris’s ongoing book tour for her memoir, “107 Days,” which chronicles her brief but intense presidential campaign.
For two days, October 17 and 18, Badagry, the old slave port, hosted descendants of enslaved Africans at this year’s 5th Badagry Door of Return Festival, attracting no fewer than 57 delegates from US, UK, Brasil, Haiti and Cuba. To the community and the guests, the festival was a huge joy of return to motherland, Assistant Editor (Arts) OZOLUA UHAKHEME reports.
The Marina Road in Badagry is an uncommon street. Beyond being a waterfront neighbourhood hemmed with leisure spots, it also houses some rich heritage sites in a community famous for its centuries old Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade and slave port. Within the same axis, are different museums (Mobee Family Slave Museum, The Seriki Abass Slave Baracoon, and the Point of No Return Monument) that hold many relics of the trajectory of the dark era of slavery, and lately the Door of Return. It is now a convergence point for Diaspora Africans who return home in droves to reconnect to their ancestral roots every year.
Last weekend was another of such emotional homecoming. No fewer than 57 delegates from US, UK, Brasil, Haiti and Cuba including the families of Mere Jah from the United Kingdom were hosted to a huge reunion at the grand finale of the two-day 5th Badagry Diaspora Door of Return Festival by the Nigerians In Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM). Nobel laureate Prof Wole Soyinka who was special guest at the festival, presented the delegates with Certificate of Return amid fanfare.
This year’s festival was in reverent memory of Mere Jah, a die hard Pan-Africanist who passed on April 2024 at Ouida in Benin Republic after spending 28 years as a returnee on African soil having voluntarily repatriated to Africa from Guadeloupe in 1977.
Among the delegates at the festival were American singer and songwriter of the famous Shalamar musical group, Jeffrey Glenn Daniels, Dr. David Anderson, Cuban Ambassador to Nigeria Miriam Morales Palmero, and Brazilian Consul General Mr. Celso de Arruda Franca, among others.
The Door of Return ceremony accentuates the objective of diaspora return and integration and seeks to provide concrete vehicle for the actualisation of this goal. It is no-gainsaying that the diaspora is in constant search for a place to reconstruct its identity, history, culture and beliefs.
One major highpoint of the celebration was the slave reminiscence trekking undertaken by delegates through the Slave Route to the Point of No Return monument at Gberefu ancient sea-port, before returning through the symbolic Door of Return, accompanied by colourful boat regatta. Other events were the Badagry Royal carnival procession, Ogun Badagry (Aje goddess of wealth) festival celebrations, cultural display featuring Sato Drums and Vothun ritual Performances, and Zangbeto masqueraders’ procession.
In his remark, Prof. Soyinka said every journey had two parts, departure and return, noting that the voyage of the African people remained incomplete until they reconnected with their ancestral roots. He described the festival as a symbolic launch-pad for the long-awaited return, praying for the safe homecoming of all Africans in Diaspora.
Chairman/CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, assured that President Bola Tinubu would receive more than 2,000 people coming on a historical voyage to Badagry, Lagos State by next year’s edition of the festival. According to her, the voyage will be organised by Prof. Wole Soyinka.
“Next year, under the chairmanship of Prof Soyinka, we are planning historical voyage events where we will experience a real journey from Brazil and Cuba to Nigeria. Today’s event is just a test run. President Tinubu started Black Heritage Festival in Lagos when he was the Governor of Lagos State, so he will be here to receive those coming in on Soyinka’s historical voyage.” She commended Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for building the permanent Door of Return in Badagry.
Representative of Governor Sanwo-Olu, the Special Adviser on Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mr. Idris Aregbe, described the festival as a “living testament to Lagos’s commitment to cultural renaissance and diaspora unity” while commending the people of Badagry for sustaining its legacy as the cradle of return and pledging the state’s continued support to amplify its global recognition.
Chairman, House Committee on Tourism, Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon Bonu Solomon, lauded the festival’s symbolic value, saying it was ‘a heritage bridge between Africa and her children abroad.’ He assured of continued legislative backing for initiatives that promote tourism, culture and the preservation of Lagos’s historical identity.
Chairman, Badagry Local Government, Babatunde Hunpe, highlighted the sacred role of Badagry as the soil of return reaffirming his administration’s readiness to keep supporting the festival and other cultural programmes that deepened the town’s tourism and economic growth. Ambassador of Cuba to Nigeria Miriam Palmero expressed delight at the enduring spiritual and cultural bond between Africa and the Caribbean. Dr. David Anderson, the leader of the returnees from United States, described the door of return as a door of joy and happiness. For Jeffrey Daniels, the festival was simply a joy of return.
Festival Dedication
According to the founder, African Renaissance Foundation, inventor of the Badagry Diaspora Door of Return Festival, Dr. Babatunde Olaide-Mesewaku, this year’s edition of the festival is dedicated to the Ngoumou Edima Jah Evejah popularly called Mere Jah.
He recalled that the concept of dedicating the diaspora festival to people of African heritage was first accomplished in 2014 when the festival was dedicated to Marcus Garvey in 2014, ‘Touissant L’ouverture in 2015, Alouada Aquinno 2016, Descoredes Maximiliano Do Santos in 2017; cultural icon of the Brazilian Community who returned to Africa in 1970 to trace his ancestral root Ketu kingdom in today’s Benin Republic after 500 years of linage slavery in Brazil.
“The objective is to locate and honour people of African heritage cither living or late who had control significantly to socio-political or economic emancipation of Africa. This is the class to white memory of Mere Jah belongs in the heart of Badagry people and Africa as a whole. Her contributions to the development of the Diaspora Door of Return Festival was quite imppactful since she started to participate in the festival.
“She was very instrumental to the annual home pilgrimage’ to Badagry of a number of diaspora family across the world who had participate in the festival to reconstruct their history, culture and identity since 2014. Beyond the festival, her impact on the lives of numerous individuals and children through the establishment of ECOLOJAH at Ahozon in Ouidah, a pan-African alternative school t shaped the lives of many through the teachings of the knowledge of Africa and her relationship with world.
“Mere Jah deserves every single honour the Badagry people and especially African Re: Foundation leadership could accord her memory. The festival and its cultural programmes including the Door Of Return ceremony offer the diaspora a concrete opportunity where it will reconstruct its past, imaginary future, identities, roles, rituals and beliefs and of course to reconnect, redefine, re-establish and reinforce its relationship with the primordial homeland. ‘To actualise this, the festival aggregates both the tangible and intangible cultural resources as expressed in the history of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade and genealogy, artifacts, monuments, places of memory, religion and natural environmental ambiance of the homeland as instigator for homeland return.
The Door of Return ceremony (as against the Point of No Return trajectory of the dark era of slavery) accentuates diaspora return and homecoming objective of the Festival. The Door of Return ceremony is a symbolic event in which our brothers and sisters in the diaspora shall be welcome back to Nigeria through Badagry in a symbolic return celebration from across the Badagry Lagoon in a cruise boat decorated in green-white green colour. The importance of this speaks to the fact that as their progenitors were taken away as slaves, Africa, in this context Badagry/ Nigeria, is welcoming them back home as kings and queens.”
In The Beginning
Olaide-Mesewaku stated that the Badagry Diaspora Door of Return festival was originally conceptualised and designed by African Renaissance Foundation in 2014 as a national event, because festivals that incorporate diaspora content across the coast of West Africa are being organised with direct involvement of the Presidency or Federal Government hence our collaboration with Hon. Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission in 2017.
Quoting Harold Preston, an American and consultant to the Bob Marley’s family, Olaide–Mesewaku said: “Badagry is quite significant. That was one of the places a lot of our Black brothers and sisters were shipped as slaves abroad, some to Jamaica. So any black man coming home to Africa will find in Badagry a beautiful home. Its historical significance is part of the reason we chose Badagry to bring Bob’s family there.”
He said Badagry is a memorial community reputed for its active participation in the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade since the 15th Century to the early 20th centuries. “Badagry was an emporium of the slave trade activities having served as the major slave market for the sales of enslaved Africans and one of the major ports along the Coast of West Africa known then as Slave Coast. Millions of Africans were said to have been sold into slavery through the Badagry ports. In fact, Badagry came third after Dahomey and Congo in the volume of enslaved Africans that were forcibly dispersed to other regions of the world. Badagry people don’t gloat in this experience but history is history, it must be presented as a matter of fact for generations,” he added.
Continuing, he said: “To preserve this heinous experience of African in the hands of the western world, just as the Holocaust is preserved in Museums across major cities in the world for generations coming, individuals and governments had made efforts to preserve this experience in relics, monuments, drama and in books. Hence today in Badagry we have the Mobee Family Slave Museum, The Seriki Abass Slave Baracoon, the Badagry Heritage Museum and the Point of No Return Monument all these built by Government.
“The Badagry diaspora Door of Return Festival was therefore inspired by the historical antecedents of Badagry. The Badagry Diaspora Door of Return Festival is the initiative of African Renaissance Oundation and NGO registered with Nigeria Corporate Affairs Commission since 1999. It was conceived, designed and being organised annually by African Renaissance Foundation. One of the major objectives of African Renaissance Foundation (AREFO) is the annual organisation of the Diaspora Festival, the only festival in Nigeria with diasporic content focusing on salient issues of Return and Homecoming, Engagement and Re-integration with implicit objective of socio-economic and cultural synergy, This vent, which started far back in 2013 had its first collaborative experience with Motherland Beckons led by Chief Akinboboye of the La Campagne Tropicana Beach Resort at Ibeju Lekki but later on blossomed in 2017 with the involvement of and collaborative efforts of such institutions as Nigeria In Diaspora Commission, headed by Hon. Abika Dabiri Erewa and the Institute of African Studies, University of Ibadan and lately Lagos State University.”
Which is branded, treason and still we find a reason to battle cattle,
While we drive on roads that have become traps for kidnaps and – unsafe for travel
And it is a marvel to imagine the number of the bereaved, displaced, raped and razed down homes.
Atrocities, in communities committed with impunity to law and order –
Our borders have become so porous to insurgency,
And the urgency of insecurity tempt us to arm ourselves, defend ourselves,
And we ourselves know that politics is simply a game played for gain,
By a certain clique who trick us every time it’s time to vote again –
With promises they never fulfill
And how hurt we feel when they abuse this power they possess
And the mess that is our power industry – we – in-this-country, continue to be the casualty of a dysfunctional polity, buried in the depth of duplicity and disparity that continue to breed disunity among each ethnicity,
And so we will continue to wander within the limits our history circumscribes
Until we all become scribes for a new story, with each chapter embodying the character that will build an enduring legacy,
And there is no exception for leader or laity.
So, this is for the country formed from each protectorate,
To those who have lost faith in the inequity of the polity and
To those who continue to use force to steer her down the course of chaos –
Because, every choice has a voice that echoes consequence
For every actor in this script of deceit
And no matter how intense moments get –
Never forget that the resilience of (a people) will continue to be their defense.
Ugochukwu J. Echeazu is a passionate creative personality – pianist, poet, and Project Management Professional (PMP). He studied architectural technology at the University of Salford in the United Kingdom (UK), where he currently resides. He still plays, writes, hopes, and prays that Nigeria isn’t a lost cause.
For its out-standing contributions to elevating hospitality standards in Nigeria’s capital city, Abuja Continental Hotel (ACH) has been presented with the Distinguished Legacy Award by Edvans Consult Limited, in collaboration with the Institute of Hospitality (UK, Nigeria Region) and the Association of Tourism and Hospitality Consultants in Nigeria (ATH- CON).
The award is in appreciation of the hotel’s enduring commitment to excellence, operational innovation, and its impact on the nation’s hospitality landscape. Both Edvans Consult Ltd and the Institute of Hospitality have been instrumental partners in the Distinguished Legacy Award initiative, designed to recognize visionary leadership, sustainable operations, and lasting contributions within Nigeria’s tourism and hospitality sectors.
The presentation held at the second edition of the Hotel Owners’ Dinner Outreach; a premier annual gathering of key stakeholders, investors, regulators, and innovators, shaping the future of the Nigerian hospitality industry.
Presenting the award, Mr Femi Olowoyo, Head of Edvans Consult Ltd, commended the hotel for its exemplary performance and brand legacy.
He stated that the Distinguished Legacy Award programme aims; “to support hotel owners, operators, and investors in building sustainable, globally competitive brands that reflect the true potential of Nigeria’s hospitality sector.”
The Group General Manager of Continental Hotels, Karl Hala, expressed delight at the recognition, describing it as; “a great honour and splendid news for both employees and our esteemed guests. We’re thrilled and delighted that Abuja Continental Hotel has received the Distinguished Legacy Award.
“This recognition celebrates the hotel’s ongoing transformation and commitment to elevating hospitality in Nigeria’s capital city.” He noted that the hotel’s success stemmed from its continuous drive for service excellence, innovation, and guest satisfaction – values that have solidified its position as one of Nigeria’s leading hospitality brands.
“This award is a testament to our team’s dedication and to the trust of our guests. I dedicate this recognition to the staff and management team for their hard work, passion, and pursuit of excellence,” Hala added.
Street Project Foundation (SPF), in partnership with Naija Youth Entrepreneurship Network (NYEN), has held its art festival to celebrate young people’s creativity, resilience and innovation. According to SPF Visioner, Mrs Rita Ezenwa-Okoro (REO), the foundation’s flagship yearly event, celebrates young people’s creativity, resilience, and innovation.
She said: “Since inception, it has become a hub where artists, entrepreneurs, thinkers, and changemakers gather to explore how creativity can transform communities and drive economic growth.”
This year’s theme Can creativity change the world? underscores the transformative power of the arts to inspire social change, empower youth, and shape the future of work. Mrs Rita Ezenwa- Okoro added: “With Nigeria’s youths at the heart of the creative economy, the festival creates opportunities for self-expression, networking, capacity building, and recognition. It also provides a platform to showcase groundbreaking ideas through competitions, awards, and performances that highlight courage, innovation, and social impact.”
There were prizes for outstanding youths. Recipients of the Wole Oguntokun Legacy Award and Creative Pitch Competition Winners received N1million, she added. The award immortalises the spirit of fearless storytelling and advocacy.
The Pitch Competition empowers youths to turn creative ideas into viable businesses, while registration and participation is free. “The Do What You Love Festival is Nigeria’s foremost platform celebrating youth innovation and creativity. Creativity is not just entertainment; it is a tool for social transformation and economic empowerment,” she said.
