Chairman, Senate Committee on Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, Senator Ahmed Hassan Barata has urged the National Gallery of Art (NGA) to create an enabling environment for artists to thrive.
The Senate, he said, would work closely with the NGA to ensure quick passage of laws that would facilitate the growth of modern art and its funding.
“We have been common passengers in the boat of art development and now that the boat is sailing safely and steadily, we cannot but extend our cooperation as partners in progress to the National Gallery of Art,” he said.
Barata noted that technological development is dependent upon full engagement of the tenets of the arts, adding that art is capable of becoming an alternative source of revenue for the country. He spoke at a lecture entitled Our future lies in children art, and national children art exhibition in Abuja organised by the National Gallery of Art.
Tourism, Culture and National Orientation Minister, Chief Edem Duke described today’s child art as the assurance of the virility of tomorrow’s creative industry renowned for its independence and generation of employment. He said the exhibition as a pointer to the possibility of self-reliance and near indispensability of art and creativity in the overall sustainability of the nation’s culture and tourism industry.
“Indeed, our future is bright with the strong beam lighting our path to the greatness of our future-artistically speaking. Our history has often been distorted due to lack of documentation. As we all know, any documented events becomes a history that cannot be distorted because the documents are there,” he added.
He charged the participating children not to rest on their oars saying ‘the embers of creativity placed on your lap will be sustained to burn endlessly thus leading to a future laced with better creative ingenuity and better artistry that will further boost the future creative industry.’
Duke’s counterpart at the Ministry of Youth Development, Alhaji Inuwa Abdulkadir said a good upbringing prepares the child for the needed roles of patriotism, loyalty, good governance and appreciation of family values. He noted that apart from the self discipline on the part of the children, parents equally have a vital role to play. Abdulkadir stressed that as parents, ‘we owe the children every responsibility to bring them up, instill in them the fear of God that will later in life provide quality leadership. This step is an assurance of a robust future; and I so advocate.’
NGA Director-General Mr Abdullahi Muku described the exhibition is an opportunity to savour the creative impulse thoughtfully articulated on various media by Nigerian children. He noted that the gallery has constantly used such instrumentalities and apparatus to accelerate the progression of children’s urge for art and creativity.
Muku disclosed that the gallery has been able to engage the children to explore and interrogate themes on children and national developments through its Saturday Art Club programmes as well as the children day exhibition series. According to him, the exhibition is aimed at discovering and consolidating on the artistic creativity of Nigerian pupils and students.
The guest speaker, renowned artist and architect, Prince Demas Nwoko who spoke on Our future lies in children art, said children art has not been given due attention in the nation’s educational system, saying now is the time to redress the situation. He warned that should the poor state of art education continues, the nation might be unable to reach the promised land of technological development in 2020. He urged government to put something concrete and positive on ground so that in 10 years time, ‘we will realize our first firm step to true technological growth.
On how Nigeria can achieve technological development through art, he said: “Today I fear that technology is virtually disgracing us because we did not learn the art of doing at an early age, which has left Nigeria a talking rather than a doing nation…We need to accomplish our physical build-up ourselves. That is why attempts to buy technology have not led to our imbibing technology. If you get addicted to buying, you will not develop the self-confidence to create or think.”
Among dignitaries present at the lecture included the Director-General of Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation, Mrs Sally Mbanefo, representative of Minister of Education, Prof Ruqayyat Rufai, Executive director, National Council for Arts and Culture, Mr Maigwi Maidugu, Prof Ola Oloidi, Mr. Jimoh Akolo, Dr. Helen Uhunmwagho, Prof. Tonie Okpe and Dr. Ken Okoli.
