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Tag: Gallery

  • Soto Gallery partners Ecobank, AFC, Craneburg for second +234 Art Fair

    Soto Gallery partners Ecobank, AFC, Craneburg for second +234 Art Fair

    After a remarkable debut, Soto Gallery, in partnership with Ecobank Nigeria Limited, Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), and main sponsor Craneburg Construction Company, successfully hosted the second edition of the +234 Art Fair. The event, held from March 27 to March 30 at the Ecobank Pan African Centre in Lagos, showcased Nigeria’s vibrant artistic talent and reinforced the growing influence of the creative industry.

    Speaking on Ecobank’s involvement, Ms. Omoboye Odu, Head of SME Partnership and Collaboration at Ecobank, emphasized the bank’s commitment to solving Africa’s financial inclusion challenges by supporting SMEs across different sectors, including the creative industry.

    “One of the strongest sectors we’ve identified is the creative sector. We’ve seen the success of Afrovibes, Afrobeats, Nollywood, and now the art space. The art market is estimated to be worth over $7 billion, with North America having the largest stake. How can the African market, with the talents we see, evolve to take that place? That’s where Ecobank comes in. We provide a platform by working with people in the art space to give them that voice and access to financial acumen in this large market.”

    She further highlighted the bank’s ongoing partnership with Soto Gallery, which began with the first edition of the +234 Art Fair last year, stating that it has had a significant impact on young artists across Nigeria.

    The 2024 edition of the fair, themed “Championing Patronage”, focused on encouraging art enthusiasts to support artists beyond traditional collecting. Tola Akerele, Founder of +234 Art Fair and Soto Gallery, explained the importance of patronage in the art ecosystem.

    “What does it mean to be a patron? We are looking at how to support artists. There are so many things we can do—give them space to work, mentorship, and many other forms of support. We really want to encourage artists in Nigeria. We want people to understand that you don’t have to be a collector to be a patron. You can buy a piece from a friend who is an artist in the university. We have the most amazing artists, and we want to encourage them here in Nigeria, so they can eventually go global.”

    The fair featured a diverse range of exhibitions, including a Children’s Art Gallery curated by Segun Oni, which showcased artworks created by young talents.

    “All the artworks here were made by children, and we have a curative board that selects the best of them. This was a very popular session last year, which is why we were given a bigger space this year. We had about 250 pre-registered students from multiple schools across Lagos, including Charter House Lagos, Greenwood House School, and Toydam School,” Oni revealed.

    To ensure the highest quality of artistic representation, the +234 Art Fair team conducted an open call and outreach to discover emerging talents, particularly in universities across Nigeria. Toyin Laoshe, Project Director of +234 Art Fair, spoke on the selection process:

    “We organized an open call across the country, visited different states, and engaged with universities to select artists. It was quite a tasking experience because this year we were particular about quality. Despite the limited time for the open call, we received an overwhelming response and sourced some of the best talents who lacked opportunities to showcase their work.”

  • New gallery opens in Lagos

    New gallery opens in Lagos

    The number of galleries in Lagos State has increased with the recent opening of A107 Arts Galleries on Adeola Hopewell, Victoria Island, Lagos. It is a one-shop for art, fashion and beauty. The event, which coincided with the birthday of the initiator and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Joy Smart Francis, has as its theme: Style and sip.

    She stated that A107 is a place for people who need high end artworks and prefer unique styles in painting, fashion and beauty as well as in the hair businesses.

    On why she adopted A107 as her business name, she said: “It has unique and iconic numbers and a character that is personal to us. We loved it and decided to use it to set up the business. The iconic numbers are A1 and 07. When one goes through university or school and one is told that he has made A1, one is always excited because it is an excellent result. And the number seven is perfection.

    “So, A107 is a marriage between excellence and perfection. It is a fusion that ensures that when you visit the galleries for any of its services, you have the best experience ever. You will experience excellent services and you will also leave knowing that whatever you came to do was perfectly done, under roof.

    “The emporium is a creative expression that amplifies my lifestyle. I love to experience life to its fullest and in its beauty. When one looks at someone, one should be able to tell the kind of lifestyle the person has got, so we want collectors of our art pieces and patrons of our salon and fashion services to exude a wonderful lifestyle: sophistication and excellence, we want people who understand what having a good lifestyle means to come in and pitch their tent with us.”

    Mrs. Francis added that the gallery is an exclusive shop.

    “Because for one to collect one of our artworks, it means that the person is doing well. The least of art pieces in the gallery cannot be found elsewhere. And it has been well- priced to attract the right collectors. So, we look at having the right collectors, who are in the premium category, the VIPs e.t.c, and we have provided the enabling environment so they can luxuriate and be treated with royalty, as well as accoutrements like cocktail, coffee and tea as they make well to purchase what they want, enjoying the experience they truly deserved. So, a visit to A107 fashion, art and beauty galleries is a visit to experience the beauty of art, joy of African prints, contemporary fashion and full expression of one’s personality.”

    She said the A107 Galleries is an arm of her group of businesses, including Africa’s Young Entrepreneurs (AYE), an NGO, which empowers and builds entrepreneurs.

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    Another is the Entrepreneurship Village (E-Village) under construction in Ondo State aimed at providing an enabling environment for entrepreneurs expected to represent the continent across the world.

    A fashion designer, Peace Baberopoulous, praised Mrs. Francis for the project. “It’s a beautiful initiative to combine beauty, art and fashion in one stop shop. I am for it. The initiator too, who has been a good friend of mine has been a wonderful creative. There were art pieces that really thrilled me. I really liked them because I am in the fashion industry and things like that inspire my creations. So seeing those artworks was very appealing and it beats my imagination how the whole thing was packaged. “Founder, A.Y.E/husband of the celebrator, Dr. Summy Smart Francis, added:  “I appreciate the persuasion and creativity of the initiator to embark on the project, especially in such a way that one couldn’t say no. The easiest way a woman can warm a man’s heart is through love, and the man will do what he is supposed to do. So, I’m excited to see A107 fashion, art and beauty being unveiled.”

    The guest preacher, Pastor Tobi Odeneye of the Elevation Church said our business ideas are given to us by God and that it is good to thank Him for that. He added that it is equally good to give thanks during our birthdays.

  • Ile-Ona Gallery set to take off

    Ile-Ona Gallery set to take off

    Showcasing the best of our creative is one of the best ways to inspire and encourage upcoming as well as established artists.

    That is one of the missions behind ile – Ona, a new Art gallery located in the heart of Lagos to be launched to commemorate World Arts day.

    The vision is to be the premier catalyst for African talents, amplifying the voices of creative and revolutionising the artistic landscape for underrepresented African creative while preserving and celebrating African heritage.

    According to one of the Co-founders, Mubarak Olalekan Bakare they are determined to offer visibility in terms of driving sales for the artists. “Also there would be inspiration in terms of monitoring account monetization system whereby they can showcase their work in a place that would be easily seen by art enthusiasts, the recreational and people that value art”.

    This way Professionals, he stressed will get value for work done as well as position themselves strategically. “First, we looked for a location where we can get the required visibility.  In terms of niche, we are trying as much as possible to be eclectic, such that we can tap into a wide array of artistic expressions”. 

    Co-founder Olubi Omodara Adu added that the collection will reflect classical, modern as well as modern contemporary. “We are trying to be as fluid as we can. To be able to represent a wide range of talents.  We have content that is huge and diverse reflecting works in the industry and the African continent”.

    Happily Bakare gives a peep into what’s on the radar. “We have people like Doba Afolabi, a Nigerian artist who lives in New York.

    An artist of high reputation whose works are loaned by the USA Art in embassies project, in acquisition of Washington DC State Government Department of Art and Humanities, represented by several galleries in the USA notably Zenith Gallery which has just been voted the best gallery in Washington DC, also the first African artist to be in acquisition of the largest black owned bank in the USA; One United Bank. His work has also been purchased into permanent acquisition of “The Chi TV” Chicago to say a few.

    “We also have Uyi Nosa-Odia UNO – A contemporary artist, from Nigeria living in Luxembourg and started creating art from a young age.

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    Dimeji Alabi is another fantastic artist doing textile art, apart from his paintings. There is also Foja Arts, Odunayo Fapohunda and Nosa, Faith Omole etc. young multi-disciplinary artist “.

    Over the years, they have learned to embrace challenges and not allow them to deter them from the golden vision.   ” One of the  greatest challenges was getting a space. So, we looked at it critically and thought that we needed to be different, do something outside of the norm”.

    He continued: ” If you look at the art ecosystem in Nigeria, the spaces being put together for art galleries are usually far away or hidden. So, we had to work on making it visible, Strategic on Ligali Ayorinde which is in the heart of Victoria Island”.

    One other thing that Bakare, Adu and their team made priority was getting the right team for the Gallery. “We will be glad to see African artists and artisans represented in good light on a Global scale. We will also like to see them have more International market access. The ripple effect is that the artists gets even more value for their work and Gallery owners would also become  more bankable.

    We will love to see more collaborations and more integration of technology. We will love to see more recognition for African arts and more demand on the global scale “.

  • Beauties of scenic photos adorn Anthill Gallery

    Beauties of scenic photos adorn Anthill Gallery

    Anthill Global Photo Gallery, Surulere, Lagos, is one of a kind. Reputed to have some of the best and most outstanding scenic pictures of the Nigerian nation, the photo gallery owned by Engineer Adamu Ajunam is ever poised to host photo lovers from all over the world. In an interview with Edozie Udeze, Ajunam posited that he set out to establish a photo gallery different from others because of his passion and love for photos and for the Nigerian nation.

    Adamu Ajunam is a peculiar artist. A world renowned civil engineer, he rather chose photography as his own way of showcasing his love for the nation and for the environment. After serving the Berger’s Construction Company for many years as one of the civil and construction engineers, Ajunam retired to give more time and attention to his natural love which is photography. As one of the best and foremost photography galleries in Nigeria, he has come to dominate the scene in more ways than one.
    Named Anthill Global Photo Gallery, located on Nnobi Street, Surulere, Lagos, Ajunam has all manner of photos in the studio and gallery. Well stocked and professionally ordered, Anthill showcases Nigeria to its fullest bloom with diverse pictures that depict Nigeria’s scenic views from west to east, north to south. It is difficult to really pinpoint one picture against the other as the best or the most cherished or outstanding. Each photo is history, well documented and properly presented to show a society full of those arousing scenes-natural, manmade, artificial, all that indeed make a society stick together. In reality the pictures show them all, all-glorious and appealing.
    Ajunam is passionate about what he does as he says, “All my life, I have always loved to take pictures of the environment around me. I like to see, appreciate and photograph crowd scenes, peculiar activities and actions by people. What people do interests me. The scenes they create, the environment itself thrill me to no end”. Inside his gallery as he spoke different pictures drew your attention quizzically. As your eyes roamed around, you immediately got the feeling that pictures here can fill any big library or hall of fame in the world. As the scenes stared you in the face you suddenly beheld them. But then Ajunam’s eyes glowed with warmth of recognition as the aura of different pictures held his attention. The pictures represent everything for him and he cares for them as a father would a son.
    At a cursory glance, you could see Nigeria in all its epitome-faunas, structures, monuments, ecosystem, commercial activities, the boisterous scenes of chaos or orderliness in some cases, all manner of movements, all those peculiar themes that people themselves get involved in day in day out. “In the first place my genre of photography is totally different from what others do. I get involved in photography, dealing with issues that document history, preserving what people stand for. What you see in town mostly are portraitures. Yes, that brings in more money. But I do not go for all that. What I have is to showcase Nigeria’s diverse beauties. It is my aim to educate Nigerians on the beauties and history of their environment, ecosystem, market places, even the people themselves. There’s no part of this country where you do not see or encounter scenes that are unique, good enough to be photographed and documented. I am so emotionally attached to this country even though things are not the way they should be”.

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    The idea of the Gallery is hinged on that. It is dedicated entirely to Nigeria and Nigerians. “Yes, I also do portraitures. When they call me to do so I get involved. Even this approach does not push my business as fast as it should be, it still gives me joy to do it. This place is called Anthill. Anthill moves slowly, but effectively as well. I got a logo now Global Anthill symbol. That is how it goes for me. But I know we will get there someday sooner”, he presented with a smile.
    What Ajunam does with the scenic pictures he has done is unique. On most of them he imposes collage or what can easily go as juxtaposition. Most of the pictures have been turned into artistic beauties. Unless you are told you wouldn’t know these are pictures that have now been painted as well. It is the sort of collage or juxtaposition only a well-grounded professional can achieve successfully well. It is easy for him to attain this technique because he is also a painter, a well-grounded visual artistic himself. The moment you behold those collage pieces they first draw your attention with irresistible pull. You then behold colours, wonderful colour combinations. You see real and unreal co-habiting. You see the sort of photos that are alluring in ways you can hardly define. Oh yes, these is a collage technique, it is marrying one into the next. It is like a confluence of two art pieces-photo mixing with water colours, thus producing a unique modern art form. This art form is classical; it is difficult to re-produce or copied by any other artist other than the original painter and creator.
    Engineer Ajunam then takes you round the gallery taking time to explain things more clearly, as he points and notes those that have undergone changes and those that have not been altered. “Now how to keep this gallery in its original form is my utmost concern. I am trying to figure it out in my head. Anyone with the same passion about Nigeria can be allowed to run it on my behalf”, he said.
    In the meantime, he can allow some certain artists to come in to exhibit. Probably sculptors who have works that may not occupy too much space can be allowed. He himself has also started prod ucing some decorative forms of arts like small table flower vases and others. Ajunam’s sense of artworks attracts attention because they exhibit beauties and class. “This one done with this beautiful snail shell can cost N7000. Others cost more. But the flowers on this shell show class. This one is a regular flower pot, but I have painted it in different colours, for the sake of artistic beauty. You cannot see this sort carelessly anywhere. When I was in Egypt some time ago I saw a lot of flower pots with pictures of Pharaohs and so on, on them. This one is done on calabash and adorned with different designs. It is not really a big calabash so it can be placed on a table inside an apartment”.
    Inside his studio also you see all colours of art pieces done by him which can be purchased for interior décor. The calabashes come more in miniature sizes so that they can be easily placed inside the home to arouse beautify and some deep sense of awareness. The designs, some of which look like the insibidi or the ulli depict deep African art of old. Some also have painting of flowers, figures that define exclusiveness. Any sizeable painting of this nature by Ajunam is good to adorn a center table in a home where the occupants are art lovers. It is amazing that snail shells picked from ocean shores can be turned into wonderful art pieces. Ajunam’s studio is a place to find such.
    For instance the aerial views of Idunmota and Idumagbo parts of lagos give you an impression of a people full of vibrancy. The Idunmota picture which has now become a collage displays some aplomb. It beckons you to that same euphoria of being a part of the commercial activities there. Also the picture of CMS area of Lagos beams with modernity and civilization. It shows cosmopolitan aspects of photography. The picture is clear on the boisterous lifestyle of the Marina and the other surroundings. There is also a huge picture of Eyo, the ubiquitous Lagos landmark masquerade in its unmistakable white regalia and costume. Together they all beam a searchlight into the types of photos that adorn the gallery.
    In the background also you see pictures of life on waters. There’s a dazzling picture of Makoko sitting leisurely on the lagoon near the University of Lagos. Life on the lagoons, with fishermen atop their canoes and boats doing their commercial activities without any care in the world form part of the collection. It is the beauty extended to those pictures by Ajunam that makes them outstanding. They can always be a collector’s item someday soon. They are not everyday pictures. Indeed some of the scenes have already been obliterated by events and history and so can only be seen and appreciated when viewed in the gallery. However, Ajunam believes that his works are affordable by those who understand the values of photos.
    Also pictures of traditional dances, cultural festivals and merriments, pictures of old and modern market scenes, speak volumes in the gallery. They are all colourfully printed depicting memorable events of history. The costumes are inviting. The festivals, some of which do not happen often, paint pictures of a society rich in diverse cultural razzmatazz. One thing is clear: Ajunam gives all his works profound professional touch that enhances impressionistic ideals. In all these then, it is time actually to make a deal with this Anthill that is global and that never rests nor relents. Really, here exquisite pictures breath, they hibernate, waiting for patronage.

  • Gallery unveils exhibition plans

    proprietor, LVI Art Gallery, Lekki Phase I, Lagos, Mr. Julius Iyoghiojie has described the recently held maiden art exhibition tagged Beauty and the Beholder as a huge success that must be built upon. He said the group exhibition was primarily held to create awareness for the gallery in order to drive clients to its future exhibitions and other arts events.  Unveiling plans for the gallery’s major shows slated for the year, Iyoghiojie who has been into art in the last 25 years, said the gallery will follow up and continually reach out to the art market. Such reach out, he said, is to major art schools and organisations in the sector for collaborations or partnering opportunities.

    “We are trying to promote the art, the artist and the gallery. We have our imprints in different institutions like the banks, cultural centres like Alliance Francaise, British Council and so on. We will be having exhibitions and other art events from time to time, from solo to group exhibitions. We are looking at promoting the different schools of art in Nigeria wherein wegather their alumni and organise shows,” he added, noting that it is to promote the different styles of the schools.

    The debut edition featured works of artists such as Bruce Onobrakpeya, SojiYoloye, Raji Ade Nurudeen, Ehigbor O.B.J, Oviri Alaric, OdeyemiOluwaseun, Alagbada Olayinka Pitar Alakhume, Joel Utuedor among others.

    Iyoghiojie, who studied Petroleum Engineering at University of Benin (UNIBEN) sees art as an asset, noting that it is better to give someone an artwork as a gift than a phone or a wrist watch. It is for cultural presentation and it has an aspect of education also.  The last exhibitions featured a mix of my private collections and those by some artists.

    On why  SojiYoloye’s works formed majority of the works exhibited at the last show, he said:  “My relationship with Soji is 25 years old. He is one of my earliest artists way back at the University of Benin. Above all, the bond between us is cemented by integrity and also he is gifted. I hope to host a solo for him; Soji in the house before the end of the year. He described the location of his gallery as strategic because it is central to Lekki, Ajah and Victoria Island in Lagos.

  • Gallery promotes reading culture

    For about 20 minutes, four secondary school pupils selected from the audience sat in front of the hall listening to the guest reader.

    During this period, the National Press Centre Hall of Radio House Abuja, venue of the event, was filled and silent. The reader, a House of Representatives member from Benue State, Hon. Mark Gbilah, who sat between the students read some pages from the popular Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, which clocked 61 this year. A question and answer session followed to test the students’ understanding of the readings.

    Impressed by the students’ performance, Hon. Gbilah urged the children to sustain their interest in reading, adding: “It helps you conquer the world. It helps you to get knowledge and become great in life.’’ He said the significance of the book informed the choice of Things Fall Apart for the reading. The session was part of presentation of books and exhibition of National Gallery of Art (NGA) publications held penultimate Thursday by National Gallery of Art, Abuja. It was primarily part of activities to encourage book reading culture.

    Information and Culture Minister Alhaji Lai Mohammed said by bringing the books and publications to the public, NGA is taking the  step of making them accessible for appraisal, so that subsequent works would be better. This way, he said, they are contributing to our knowledge in visual arts and other art form.

    The Minister, represented by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Deaconess Grace Gekpe, said the lecture, which is focusing on the Nigerians’ poor reading culture, is an issue that is dear to the ministry.

    “Indeed, I want to commend the Gallery for choosing such a topical issue for discourse as the nation at present needs a reset as the current administration moves to the next level. We have to encourage our teeming youth not only to read, but enjoy doing so to garner requisite information, knowledge and understanding to stand them in good stead to cope with the challenges of our ever changing world of today,” he added. The minister later unveiled the publications.

    NGA Chairman, Ambassador Azores Sulaiman said the gallery takes documentation  serious the same way it treats visual art promotion and empowerment of artists in the country.  According to him, the gallery has in the last few years, organised art fairs in various geo-political zones. The idea, he said, is to ensure that no part of the country is left behind in the art sector.

    “I commend them for this and we as a board promise to give them the needed support. Today’s event is very important. This is because the National Gallery of Art is laying bare its history in the area of documentation and how it has grown to become one of Nigeria’s repositories of Books and Publications in the visual art sub-sector. Even more, they want to encourage book reading culture, hence there is a lecture on this issue by Nigeria’s Chief Librarian and distinguished scholar, Prof. LenrieAina,” he added.

    Keynote speaker National Library of Nigeria Chief Executive Officer, Prof.  Lenrie Aina, was represented by Deputy Director, Legal Department, Nation Library of Nigeria, Mrs. Idung Akpabio. The event was spiced by cultural performances by Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Troupe. A burst of pioneer Director-General of the NGA, Dr. Paul Dike  was also unveiled at the vent.

    NGA Director-General, AbdullahiMuku, who was retiring from service the next day, said at inception, NGA noticed a gap in the then bubbling art scene- the lack of proper documentation of art works by exhibiting artists, which inspired the publication of the books on exhibition.

    “Even with poor funding, which unfortunately persists till now, we were poised to fill the gap and handle this aspect professionally. Did we succeed? We want you to be the judge as you view our body of works in Publications and Books in the past two decades plus.

    “The works you are about to view emanated from our signature programmes, such as the National Symposium on Nigerian Art and the Annual Distinguished Lecture series, among others. The publication is a compendium of NGA’s publications, showing the developmental stages and how much we have achieved in this direction. It is our expectation that this exhibition will make the works accessible to more people than ever before. We are also offering them online to a wider public across the world,” he stated.

    AlhajiYahayaAbubakar, the Etsu Nupe commended NGA’s efforts at organising the event, which has as focus the development of women and children. He called on Nigerians to promote and preserve the nation’s heritage. This, he said, could be done through several methods, especially history, which should be made compulsory in schools.

    “These compiled collections of NGA publications will go a long way in encouraging reading culture,” he added, urging everyone to show interest in the collection and read them.

    Meanwhile, the outgoing Director-General of National Gallery of Art, Abdullahi Muku got a rousing send-off penultimate Friday at the Federal Secretariat, Abuja when he was gracefully pulled out of service by staff of the gallery.

    Amid drumming, singing and dancing, Muku was treated to a lavish party where some workers poured encomiums on him in appreciation of his leadership quality, especially his humility all through his tenure as DG since 2009.

    One of the workers Mr. Dubem Egbunike said: ”He is like a father and very passionate. He shared much affection with staff, which made him very much unlike most CEOs. I am happy he is celebrated today, a record his two predecessors never enjoyed at time of leaving gallery. However, he is a human being who is not expected to be perfect.”

    To the NGA’s union leader, Comrade Musa Balogun, Muku meant more to him than a boss, saying he was a major inspiration and support for his career growth at NGA, adding that but for him, he won’t have gotten to where he is as a Master’s degree holder, who started from ground zero. He praised Muku for allowing him realise his dream.

    Expectedly, the celebrator expressed shock at the celebration though sincerely appreciate the efforts. “For whatever I achieved, I give it to all the staff. Being humble is a base to greater height. It pays a lot. I urged my successor to improve on what I did,” he said amid emotion-filled encomiums.

  • Gallery partners Ondo on maiden festival

    Ondo State government has reiterated its commitment to making the state one of the best tourism destinations in Nigeria.

    Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu stated this while hosting the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Oshodi Arts Gallery, Mr Sheyi Oshodi, who is partnering the state on the proposed Ondo State Arts Festival in Akure, the state capital.

    Akeredolu, represented by his Deputy, Agboola Ajayi, said the government was ready to give the project the necessary support.

    He said: “This initiative is to bring back the lost glory of our heritage. These values are not newly invented, but we have virtually forgotten all of them and this is not good for our culture, the state and for record purposes.

    “I’m happy this is coming at a time Ondo State has just established an Archive Centre. I am sure the synergy will bring back our culture and we will have our historical values to show our children yet unborn.”

    Expressing high hopes that the partnership would bring fortunes to the state, the governor said by the time the festival becomes a reality,”we should be able to have a big event” that would advance and surpass that of Calabar festival, which would bring the whole world to the state as well turn its economy around.”

    Also, the Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Alhaji Ismaila Olurimisi, said the state stands to benefit immensely from the partnership, which he claimed was at no cost to the government.

    Olurimisi stated that arrangements on the maiden edition of Arts and Culture festival in the state has almost been concluded to make it a worthwhile event, adding that the date and programme of event will be disclosed soon.

    “The Art festival will be like a seven-day long event which would feature different programmes such as, mountain climbing, a programme at the riverrine area, marathon race, among others.

    “This is going to be a bigger event than the usual Mare festival whereby people home and abroad will converge to celebrate and the government will be able to generate more IGR from the commercial activities around the festival. This is not to put Mare into extinction”, he noted.

    Earlier, the CEO of the Oshodi Art Gallery said the project is an avenue to bring back the heritage of the state which he claimed is one sure way of boosting the state’s economy.

    “The touristic elements present in the state including the culture and talents are enough industries to make it a greater one in the comity of states and even around the world”, saying, “all these among other historical events would be showcased during the festival to promote the state.

    He added that the initiative is also to advocate for the re-introduction of art which comprises music, dancing, drama, sculptural designs and painting among others, into the secondary school syllabus and empower no fewer than 5,000 youths in terms of technical and vocational skills acquisition.Oshodi said one of the objectives of the programme was to project Ondo State into the World of Ethnotourism festive entertainment.

    “This programme will enhance windows of business opportunities to investors,tourists and Ondo State people and make it a tourist attraction,” he said.

    According to him, some of the events planned for the programmeinclude,Trado-modern carnival float,Agro-tourism,Mountain Racing, concerts, Exhibitions,Film Fest,Theatre Production,Water carnival, fireworks concerts,Choreography concert and summit festival.

    The high point of the courtesy visit was the presentation of the logo of the Ondo State Art Festival tagged “ONDOFEST 2018”to the governor by the Commissioner.

  • Playing to the gallery

    Playing to the gallery

    It was no time to show showmanship, but a showman will always be a showman. Senator Ben Murray-Bruce, who became a federal lawmaker after succeeding in the entertainment sector, put up an entertaining show in the Senate chamber on January 17.

    A report said: “The session came on the heels of Tuesday’s 14-day ultimatum for Inspector General of Police Ibrahim Idris to fish out the perpetrators of the New Year’s Day massacre in Benue State. Over 70 people killed in the mayhem were buried in a mass burial in the state capital, Makurdi, last week.”

    Senators spoke about solutions. Murray-Bruce, representing Bayelsa State, came up with a solution that sounded like a problem. According to the report, Murray-Bruce “noted that if the executive arm of the government wanted the Senate to do its work, Senate President Bukola Saraki should immediately be appointed President so that he could deal with issues decisively. He added that Saraki seemed to be the only person concerned about the worsening security situation.”

    Murray-Bruce was quoted as saying: “It seems to me that Nigeria is becoming a lawless country; a country with no rules and regulation, a country where laws are not adhered to.” Please note the lawmaker’s words. Ironically, he then went on to suggest a lawless approach.

    Perhaps the separation of powers makes no sense to Murray-Bruce, even when he is a beneficiary of the system. If the concept made any sense to him, he would not have said what he said.

    This is what he said: “It is as if the Senate is now the executive arm of government…If the people responsible for the protection of lives and property in Nigeria cannot do their job, what happens in civilised countries, they are fired… let us appoint the Senate President to be the President of Nigeria.  Let us do the job of the executive because it doesn’t make any sense… If Saraki is the only one interested, let him become the president of Nigeria and that solves the problem. We cannot continue like this.”

    The public image of the Nigerian Senate under Saraki is a subject better avoided here. It is enough to say that the senator’s effort to whitewash the Senate failed.

    The performance by Murray-Bruce is called playing to the gallery. It proffered no sensible solution, but was an exaggerated display of concern.

  • Gallery Breaks Forth From Within on World Art Day

    Gallery Breaks Forth From Within on World Art Day

    The National Gallery of Art (NGA) and Thought Pyramid Art Gallery, Abuja, have held an exhibition in commemoration of this year’s World Art Day (WAD).
    In 2011, the International Association of Art chose Leonardo da Vinci’s birthday, April 15, to mark the day. With the theme, Breaking Forth From Within, the exhibition featured 40 works by staff of NGA and some from the national collection. It had impressive works expressed through various media, such as acrylic, textile, metal, relief sculpture, paintings, photographs, tie and dye and compu-graphics. There were images of landscape, stories of everyday life and abstract works.
    One of the works that easily caught viewers’ attention was a relief sculpture piece titled: Have Seat by Uche Mbele. It is an interesting image of a group of men urging one another to sit down at a table. The table had on it what looks like a crest with a bird on it tied up with ropes. According to the artist, the bird is a dove, symbolising peace and the rope tied around it “is simply saying that peace is not allowed free reign in the country – specifically, Nigeria. But, also it is reflective of the unrest in other parts of the world. The crest represents a nation and the men urging each other to have seat are eager to find a way to untie the bird through dialogue so that peace will reign.” The call for peace is so beautifully expressed in this sculpture that one could actually suggest the sculpture to be made a national symbol.
    Another piece that is eye-catching is Disvirgined by Simput Semshak. It is oil on canvas abstract rendered in two colours – white and red. It is hard to tell if what attracted viewers was the intriguing title or the pure beauty of such a ‘plain’ piece of work. The word plain is used here because it is a splash of red and white paint on a white canvas. The title of the work left one to his or her own imagination for interpretation.
    One of the exhibitors, Kizito Ekeng, had three compugraphics on display, including When the Sun Goes Down, a beautiful image of the sun setting in a serene village scene. He said the art work represents a beautiful woman slowly coming out of her prime as she ages.
    The Director-General NGA, Mr. Abdullahi Muku, said talent is everywhere in our society and that creativity needs to draw on the widest possibility of talent. He explained that NGA was working at connecting commerce, creativity and artists.
    “This effort is being focused on particular areas, which include cultivating creative mind-sets that are economically viable; growing cultural economic development partnerships and collaborations and supporting the visual art industry’s efforts at developing and exploiting higher value business and marketing strategies among others,” he added.
    The curator, Mr Zakaria Adamu, expressed the hope that the Day would be celebrated bigger and better in subsequent editions. Breaking Forth From Within is one of the exhibitions by NGA to showcase its in-house talents.

  • Playing to the gallery

    Playing to the gallery

    •The Federal Government should call off the wage increase rhetoric and face the challenge of governance

    Plans by the Federal Government to spearhead another round of negotiations for wage increase in 2017 should ordinarily be happy news. There is no doubt that the current wage regime is already overtaken by current realities. Inflation has eaten up the value and, consequently, hunger, squalor and misery have become the lot of the vast majority of Nigerians, including public servants.
    It would, therefore, appear wicked to suggest that government should not review wages upward. However, the other side of the equation is that many state governments are struggling to pay the current wages. Since last year, many Federal Government agencies have been unable to pay salaries as and when due. The situation with state workers has been even more pathetic, thus necessitating intervention through bailout by the Federal Government.
    Even at that, many governments at the state and local government levels owe their workers up to seven months salary arrears. Others have resorted to paying half salaries to the discomfiture of the workers, many of whom had to withdraw their wards from schools. Others who took ill could not avail themselves of good medical care due to soaring hospital bills.
    It is within this context that we call on the Buhari administration to rethink the plan announced by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige. What should engage the attention of the government now is how to stabilise and expand the economy to get many of the unemployed gainfully engaged. Then, ensure that state governments generate sufficient revenue to meet with their statutory duties.
    The proposed wage increase appears to us more like campaign rhetoric. Politicians are known to make outlandish pledges during electioneering to woo the electorate. This they do most of the time knowing that the revenue could not support such deceitful promises. This is not the time for cheap political talks. It is time for governance. This government promised the people better conditions of living during the period leading to last year’s General Elections. But, pleading unanticipated drop in revenue, it has not fulfilled the promise.
    We urge the Federal Government to be faithful in reflating the economy in 2017 by paying domestic debts and starting early to execute the capital projects in the budget. The real sector of the economy is crying for attention, with the foreign exchange regime still constraining manufacturers who need to import raw materials. These should be the priority in the coming year.
    Any attempt to open up wage talks now would inflame passions and cause disruption in the workplace. The Labour movement is already asking for what appears an unrealistic N75,000 minimum wage. As was the case in previous negotiations, state governments are likely to distance themselves from the talks and the outcome. The private firms are also likely to cry out as many are beginning to fold up, others relocating to neighbouring countries while others are reducing wages and laying off staff. This is not a time to introduce new salaries that would further compound our woes.
    We call on all agitators for wage increase to hold their peace for now. This is a time to put all hands on deck to ensure that the country is pulled out of the woods. It is to be noted that much of next year’s budget would be financed by external loans that have not been guaranteed. These, indeed, are unusual times when gloating and muscle-flexing are out of place. Populist measures do not sit well during an emergency period.