The Nation Newspaper

Tag: exhibition

  • NICOWA celebrates win at agric exhibition

    The Nigeria Cooperative Women Alliance (NICOWA) has won first position in the 2014 Public/Private Driven Agriculture Exhibition.

    Its National President, Mrs Esther Eka, said   the victory was a proof of the machinery it put in place to empower women in maximising the benefits of agro allied businesses.

    Eka said: “This is a proof of our commitments to the reduction of poverty among women and empowerment of families.

    “It is not easy to build any human network; NICOWA for us is a child of necessity, a platform that gives leverage to Nigerian women.

    “It gladdens my heart that both local and international institutions are concerned about the modest progress we have made so far. These awards are indications that we are on the right track.’’

    The NICAWA national president said members would continue to savour the two awards, given by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in conjunction with the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

    She urged women to continue to see themselves as agents of peace, stability and progress in their respective communities, stressing that “women are uniquely created by God to be agents of peace and positive change.’’

    She appealed to them to use their acquired skills to contribute to national development, saying that the role of women was greatly appreciated in all facets.

    “I urge Nigerian women to intensify prayers for our families and for peace and development in our country,’’ the women alliance boss appealed.

    According to her, women must engage in selfless service, tolerance and good neighbourliness beyond becoming self-reliant.

    She said: “The unfolding violence and agitation across the country have the potential to rob us of our peace and tarnishing our timeless traditional and religious values.

    “NICOWA is pleading with the more than five million of its members across the country to eschew bitterness and preach peace at all times.’’

    She also urged members to continually widen the scope of their business ideas and to take steps to actualise them, pledging that; “the Alliance is committed to providing expertise and direction for financing of viable investments within the scope of our mandate.’’

    NICOWA, which is the umbrella body of all women cooperative societies in the country, was also rated the Best Coordinating Agricultural Group in Agriculture Exhibition at the 2014 Public/Private Driven Agriculture Exhibition held on October .

     

  • New exhibition celebrates Mandela and Gandhi

    The relationship between two great icons in the struggle for freedom and social justice is the inspiration for the Mandela Gandhi Wall at the Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory in Johannesburg.

    The wall, created by renowned artist and author, Birad Rajaram Yajnik, is an interactive exhibition that focuses on the lives of and relationship between two heroes, Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi,  as well as the relationship between India and South Africa.

    The exhibition is interactive in a couple of ways that will enthral visitors of all ages. But most impressively, Yajnik has found a way to make the exhibition particularly interesting to the youth, who he recognises have a fondness for technology.

    For those who are less technologically inclined, the interactive aspect of the wall has been designed to be both simple and easy to use, while still stimulating and engaging.

    Next to the wall is a stack of what look like postcards with questions on the back that relate to the lives and struggles of Gandhi and Mandela. The picture on the front of the postcard matches one of the photographs on the wall, while the questions on the back are multiple-choice, with a list of possible answers.

    Visitors can discover the correct answer by matching the photo on the card with the corresponding photo on the wall. The picture on the wall has a small letter in one corner, which corresponds to the correct answer on the back of the card.

    The questions are designed to enrich the visitors’ experience of the wall and also to prompt engagement.

    Yajnik showed some of the guests at the recent opening of the exhibition how the question cards work. “This is where the engagement starts,” he said, adding,  “because it will take some time to match this picture.”

    But the ingenuity of the exhibition is in the way it works with and embraces technology.

    Dotted about the wall are QR (quick-recognition) codes that can be read by smartphones, which then play videos or audio clips that Yajnik has loaded on to the internet.

    The free wireless internet at the Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory means that you can experience these parts of the exhibition without using your own data or air time.

    One of the videos that the QR codes will direct you to is the first-ever recorded footage of Gandhi.

    For Yajnik, the best part is that he can keep the exhibition fresh by changing the videos, so that the same QR code might not always direct to the same video. Said Yajnik, “We can keep enhancing it more and more.”

    According to him,  “The favourite part is how the youth can engage.” He is also passionate about being able to speak to the youth and share with them the stories of ‘two great icons of peace in the world.

    Yajnik hopes that by availing the youth the opportunity to engage with and understand the stories of these icons, he can help inspire the next Gandhi or Mandela.

    ‘My message is for the youth,’ he said. ‘Most of my work is targeted at high school students.’

    Yajnik is proud of this work. ‘It turned out very nicely,’ he said. ‘Simplicity works the best.’

  • KWASU organises career exhibition

    The Counselling and Career Services Centre (CCSC) of the Kwara State University (KWASU), Malete, has organised a programme tagged Career Fair Exhibition for students and fresh graduates of the institution.

    The programme in its maiden edition provided an avenue for the graduating students to display their talents and exhibit what they have for the labour market.

    Speaking at the event, Mrs Olabisi Adedigba, the Coordinator of the centre, noted that the objective of the fair was to bring together KWASU students, different organisations and employers to meet the yearnings of the university to produce graduates who would not be job seekers but employers of labour.

    Adedigba explained that collaboration with the organisations was necessary because they were in the best position to lead the students’ right, adding that they would be able to point out what the market needed and what the students were expected to bring to the labour world to attract potential employers.

    “As graduating students of this great institution going into the world of work, it is important to intimate them with the information they need to be relevant graduates in the market. This fair will give them a unique insight into that which they need, to be relevant in the market especially in the 21st century,’’ she said.

    Dr Yomi Akindele-Oscar, an Associate Professor of Health and Counselling Psychology at Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, in his paper titled: Habits of Highly Effective Job Seekers in a Down Market,  advised the students on the appropriate precautions and habits expected of a job seeker.

    He warned that the career-life journey of an applicant is filled with challenges, adding that only graduates who are adaptive to change can survive and win the race of employment.

    In her address titled: Vital Strategies to Maximise your Career Success Dr Mary Ogechi Esere, a lecturer at the Department of Counselling Education, University of Ilorin, stressed that self-discovery was the key to a successful career.

    While identifying the importance of the possession of team spirit in any chosen career, she said: “No matter how hard you work or how many brilliant ideas you may have, if you can’t connect with the people who work around you, your professional life will suffer’’.

    She advised against pessimism, poor-self-confidence and low self-esteem, saying they were anti-career.

    For, Kwara State University, all activities were geared towards building the individual and a great nation while developing everyone to become elements of change.

    In his presentation, titled: Building an enduring entrepreneurship drive before and after graduation, Dr Muritala Awodun, Dean, School of Business and Governance, said career life was full of obstacles. He explained that failure was not falling to the ground but the inability to rise after one has fallen.

    In his remarks, Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Prof AbdulRasheed Na’Allah, said the event was to ascertain the activities of the university as a university for community development.

  • Centre announces Wole Soyinka arts exhibition panel

    Centre announces Wole Soyinka arts exhibition panel

    •Steve Ayorinde is panel chair

    The Centre for International Advanced and Professional Studies (CIAPS) has nominated Nigerian journalist and arts critic, Steve Ayorinde, to chair this year’s CIAPS Arts Festival.

    The CIAPS 2014 Arts Festival is an arts exhibition dedicated to the life and works of Nobel laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka.

    The event, dubbed: WS in Arts, will hold in the last week of September at CIAPS. It will feature artists and students of Arts from Nigeria other African and European countries.

    Ayorinde will chair an international panel comprising of arts critics, academics, artists, art dealers and art lovers who will evaluate and award prizes to the works of exhibiting artists.

    Interested artists have till 30 August to submit their works.

    The event will showcase paintings, drawings, sculptures, photography, among others, on themes from books, poems, plays and essays of Prof Wole Soyinka.

    Other members of the panel are: Prof. Roberto Francavilla (Italy), Prof. Inocência Mata (Portugal), Dr Katarina Kort (Germany), Dr Sandra Rowe (USA), Clearance Peters (Nigeria) and Frances Trought (UK). The exhibition is managed by scholars and students of CIAPS as part of their professional training.

    In a statement by Olumuyiwa Ayoola and David Uduma (both students of Banking and Finance), the centre’s director Prof. Anthony Kila said: “The aims of the exhibition are to let literature meet visual arts for the benefit of the public and to let CIAPS graduates put into practice the skills and knowledge they have acquired in their professional programmes by working with top international professionals.”

    The exhibition is treated as a project and the newly nominated international panel will be working closely with a select team of students of Business Administration, led by Oludewa Jemide, Olajuwon Okunubi, Romanus Undie, Abbas Adesina, Christopher Orororo and David Obatusin.

    It is also an opportunity for talented emerging artists to showcase their works in an international context.

    CIAPS is the first paperless institution in Africa and it is running career-oriented programmes aimed at getting graduates into jobs in their chosen professions.

    The main areas of study are: Journalism, Business Administration, Banking and Finance, Office management, Education and Project Management.

    Talented artists and other art lovers who wish to participate in the project are to visit the centre website: www.ciaps.org

  • Edumark holds 6th Exhibition

    Edumark last week, held its 6th Total Support Seminar Exhibition (TOSSE), which was witnessed by stakeholders in the educational sector.

    The event is aimed at providing participants and exhibitors with an excellent opportunity to network and establish a mutually rewarding business relationship. It was meant to provide a platform for better standard of education in Nigeria.

    The Lagos State former Commissioner for Education Dr. Leke Pitan said the exhibition would alert an average stakeholder on tools needed for a standard or quality level of education.

    “In education, just as you have the solid infrastructure, you also have the software part of it – that is the human resource capacity building. What this does is to alert the average stakeholder, whether you are a school proprietor, which  means you can be a private business person or even government in terms of ministry’s of education; or you are a teacher or a parent in terms of what you need for a standard or quality level of education” Pitan said.

    He added: “Having given you the opportunity, what do you need to scale up and most important of all, where can you get it? That’s what total school support exhibition and seminar is all about. That means the seminar is teaching you what you need, beyond the four walls of the classroom, what the tools are, and the modes, and where can you get them from.”

    Asked why products sold at the event were being imported? He said: “In this country we tend to see private competitors as our contenders who make money. While we in government are the one who are just there to serve. Therefore, ones effort like this are encouraged by the government. You will see that nothing will stop those same private sectors from bringing in capacity to start manufacturing all those things they manufactured here.”

    Government, Pitan said, would be proud to support the exhibitors, in addition to providing more opportunities for employment in the country.

    “As we have been told that education has been the highest provider of employment even more than industries; that tells you that if such potentials are tapped by the way of government encouraging those who are presently making efforts in the private sector, such as Edumark is doing, more of such will come in and the rest you can as well imagine,” Pitan said.

    In her appraisal, TOSSE initiator Mrs Yinka Ogunde, said Nigeria’s education is progressing.

    She said: “With what technology is doing now, reasonable schools will know that they can’t afford to be left behind.”

    The exhibition, she stressed, has grown. “I think it (exhibition) has grown. The number of visitors has equally grown; so I think the education sector is becoming more aware of the benefit of TOSSE that it has grown tremendously. I don’t think there’s any programme that gathers this huge number of school owners together all under a place, so it has become very beneficial to exhibitors,” she said.

  • IDAN exhibition excites Lagos residents

    IDAN exhibition excites Lagos residents

    The second edition of the Interior Designers Association of Nigeria (IDAN)  Exhibition, also known as GUIDE (Gida Una Ile Design Exhibition), which held at  Eko Hotel and Suites in Victoria Island, Lagos, was successful.

    The event, which paraded professional interior designers, played host to over 50 international and local exhibitors.

    The exhibition offered Lagosians  the opportunity to buy breath-taking, out-of-this-world furniture and interiors. Every new issue was packed with the most inspiring interior design trends and the most interesting ideas from the world of interior design.

    Present at the exhibition were Mrs. Y. Amusan, Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Lagos State; Mo Abudu, who was sighted in the Blue Mahogany Gold chair and Mrs. Ekua Abudu, Vice President, IDAN. Apart from the organisers of the exhibition who were at the venue, shoppers in their multitude thronged the place shopping and window shopping. There was an array of beautiful interiors, home decorations, furniture, dinning sets, outdoor gardens, Nigerian traditional crafts, indigenous designs and many more to pick from. Items at the exhibition were classy and  affordable.

    The event was also to mark the World Interior Day in a three-day exhibition.

    However, last year, at its maiden edition, IDAN celebrated 50 years of design around the globe bringing interior/ architecture designs to the attention of the public. This year’s edition wasn’t different as the organisers aimed at enhancing knowledge and understanding the profession. IDAN also hoped to encourage co-operation among professionals with a focus on the range of work interior designers do and their contributions to the society.

    Exhibitors at the were Aframero, Agatha’s Interior, Alexandra designs, Aralia by nature, Caxton alile, Blue mahogany,Chair centre,Do II designs, Doshlaps, Essential Interior Magazine, I design, I0 furniture, Mikano, Svengali Designs, Out of Africa, and Roma Fruits of Nature.

    Others are Tope Edu designs, WOW interiors, Zen Decor, Westafco, Southwood, Officeline, Interior specifics, Interior by Anora, Installation limited, Honey world Interiors, Genesis, house to home, design works, colour sense, colours in africa, Baldwin Investments Ltd and Dulux.

    Apart from exhibitors showcasing their designs, they also offered design consultation sessions to exhibition visitors. Visitors to the Blue Mahogany booth experienced signature VIP treatment and were treated to a celebrity style photo shoot in the Gold Chair.

    At the exhibition, people were oriented about Interior Architecture, Interior/Product Design and Decoration to enhance knowledge about the profession.

    Creative Director Omon Anenih-Mordi, the owner of Blue Mahogany Gold chair and the chair person of the  planning committee said: “This year’s exhibition was set up to orient the public about interior architecture, interior/product design and decoration to enhance knowledge about the profession while encouraging co-operation between design professionals.

    ‘’People are advised to look out for the next IDAN exhibition, which promises to be better.”

  • Agencies, LASAA for June exhibition in Lagos

    Efforts by the Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency (LASAA) to host Africa’s biggest outdoor conference and exhibition in June have got a boost with the participation of the world’s biggest outdoor agency, JCDecaux.

    The Chief Executive Officer of JCDecaux (Southern Europe), Jean-Sébastien Decaux, has confirmed the agency’s participation, and indicated his willingness to share his wealth of experience with other international speakers and delegates at the conference.

    The African Outdoor Advertising Conference and Exhibition (Africa Sign Expo) is will hold in Lagos between June 25 and 27 at the Eko Hotel Convention Centre, Victoria Island.

    The event, which is being organised by LASAA, will focus on trends, best practices, innovations and challenges within the Nigerian and African context. Expected participants include advertising agencies, outdoor practitioners, media owners, signage fabricators, printers, advertisers, regulators, government Officials, event companies, outdoor protection services, retailers, franchisees and marketing professionals.

    The event is expected attract over 4,000 visitors, 300 exhibitors and conference participants from over 30 countries drawn from Europe, Asia, America, Africa and within Nigeria.

    Managing Director of LASAA, Mr George Noah, who lauded the development, said: ‘’Mr Jean-Sébastien Decaux’s presence would add more pep to the intercontinental flavour of the conference owing to his wealth of experience in European markets.”

  • ‘Businesses have a lot to gain from exhibitions’

    ‘Businesses have a lot to gain from exhibitions’

    At the just concluded 11th edition of The Unique Interior exhibition at the Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, Mrs. Debola Majekodunmi, the initiator of the exhibition and the former Centre Manager, Leisure Mall, Surulere spoke on the importance of the exhibition in this interview with Morakinyo Abiodun.

    What brought about this exhibition?

    The event was born out of a need to make décor and design more accessible to home owners, providing plenty of ideas and giving detailed information on interior designs.

    The exhibition was established in 1997 to showcase unique interior products and services, which will provide detailed information to customers round the globe.

    What facilitated this year’s exhibition?

    The theme for this year’s exhibition is: Uniqueness with a professional touch. It is committed to the vision that a better future for the industry can be achieved thus contributing to the development of the economy through its creativity and awareness of interior decoration in the country.

    Who are the exhibitors?

    The event brings together interior designers and decorators, architects, electronic equipment manufacturers and merchants, artists, real estate practitioners, landscapers, horticulturists and facility managers under one roof to exchange ideas with the sole purpose of stimulating growth in the industry. Also, brands such as Voda Paints, Mega Praises Home wares, Jumbo Sports, Homart Furniture, MJS Trading, Dofas Technical (In-house Builders), Home Essentials, Homenall, Vava Furniture, and the Simba Group also featured.

    Businesses can reap tremendous benefits stemming from activities prior to, during and after the event. It also brings about the much- needed exposure of organisations to a relevant influential audience, who constitute a target market for industries.

    Apart from the exhibition, what other activities do you have?

    We organise seminars simultaneously with the exhibition where various topics are discussed among exhibitors, the organisers and visitors. Some of the topics discussed are, developing a maintenance culture for interior products, environment friendly paints, securing lands and properties and so on.

    The event also feature free health checks, free body massage and spa treatment, raffle draw and discounted interior products sales and more.

  • Ronke Aina-Scott holds first solo exhibition

    An exhibition of 50 artworks rendered in various art forms of pointillism, Acrylic, Pastel and Pen & Ink, mostly abstracts, is to open at the Mydrim Gallery, Ikoyi, on June 22, 2013 at 1pm. The 50 works to be displayed at the exhibition are the works of Ronke Aina-Scott, a graduate (Second Class Upper Division) of Fine Arts of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife.

    The theme of the exhibition is “Colours on my Mind.”

    The Special Guest of Honour and Chairman of the event is Mr. Reginald Ihejiahi, Managing Director & CEO of Fidelity Bank Plc.

    According to Aina-Scott, “As a little girl, my coloured pencils were the most prized of my earthly possessions, whenever they got missing, which was very often, I was usually reduced to tears. Painting fills me with a sense of accomplishment and I am most at peace with myself when I am at work on my canvas. Art for me has proven a most amenable vehicle for translating inner vision to outer reality.”

    Other dignitaries expected at the opening ceremony are IK Mbagwu; Onome Olaolu; John Obi; Chijioke Ugochukwu; Nnamdi Okonkwo; and Mohammed Balarabe; who are all Executive Directors of Fidelity Bank Plc.

    Aina-Scott was born in the seventies and encouraged by her mother to take interest in the art. She began drawing with coloured pencils and crayon as a young girl at home. Her talent blossomed in primary school and while in secondary school she won many awards in Art.

    She has in the past participated in other exhibitions such as: Best of Ife ’95 (1995), MinajTV Exhibition (1997) and Naija Woman Exhibition by Tourshop in 2007.

    Before she joined the corporate world, Aina-Scott was one of the founding Graphic Artists at the Daily Independent Newspapers, from where she moved to FSB International Bank. She currently heads the Design & Production arm of the Marketing & Communications Group, Fidelity Bank Plc.

    She is a very prolific artist whose works tend to be simple, yet with a mass ‘African’ appeal. Her subjects are diversified, but mostly she is inspired by the role of the African woman in society. As an artist, Aina-Scott is very versatile, she is able to exhibit dexterity in the use of oil paints, pastel, acrylic, gouache and even pen and ink as a medium and her technique leans towards the abstract.

    She is a mother of twins (a girl and boy).

     

  • Abuja hosts digital Africa confab, exhibition

    Federal Capital Territory has been selected to host the inaugural Digital Africa Conference & Exhibition, slated for April 23-25, this year.

    According to a statement by the organisers of the event, based on the latest statistics from the International Communications Union (ITU), Nigeria, has the largest telecoms market, and the highest number of internet users in the continent as at today.

    The three-day Digital Africa Conference & Exhibition will be held at Nicon Luxury Hotel, in Abuja, the capital city. Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja Sheraton Hotel, Bolingo Hotel, Protea Hotel Asokoro, Chelsea Hotel, Rockview Hotel, and Hampton Suites have been designated as official accommodation hotels for guests expected from around Nigeria, African countries, and the rest of the world.