Art Destinations in Africa – Nigeria and Her Rich Arts Industry

By Rostelie Mavoungou

Let’s transport ourselves to the land of “the Giant of Africa”, the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Nigeria is a West African country located between the Sahel in the north and the Gulf of Guinea to the south in the Atlantic Ocean. It covers an area of 923,769 square kilometres; it comprises 36 states, and the city capital is Abuja. It isn’t called the “Giant of Africa” for no reason; its population of about 230 million makes it the most populated country in Africa and the world’s sixth most populous country. Nigeria has over 525 regional languages, its official language is English, and the national languages are Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba.

Presently, Nigeria is known for its vibrant and rising music industry, its infinite oil, the beautiful landscapes, the sumptuous cuisine, its rich culture, and the famous Nigerian princes. As part of its riches, Nigeria is home to significant and famous artists such as Ben Enwonwu, Ndjeka Akunyili Crosby, Yinka Shonibare and others. There are numerous art galleries where we find modernist, contemporary, traditional, sculptures and masks. Pack your luggage and come explore the artistic side of Nigeria.

It doesn’t matter where you find yourself in Nigeria, there is always a place or corner filled with artistic work and stories, may it be renowned or not, the articles found there will surely shake your artistic soul. If you are in Lagos, you can visit the Nike Art Gallery located in Lekki. It was officially opened in 2009 by Nike Davies-Okundaye, who is known for her artistic cloth work and embroidery pieces.

She founded the gallery from her personal earnings with the mission to create an enabling environment for the growth of Nigeria and African culture heritage. During your visit, you will come across paintings, moulded status, hand-woven materials, arts and crafts dating back centuries. You will view Nigeria culture through textile design and paintings. The Nike Art Gallery offers a photoshop venue for pictures, a tie and dye section, and there are occasional dance troupe performances. That’s not all; a guest house and restaurant are attached to the art centre. Nike Art Gallery is the venue for the best preserved ancient traditional values and symbols of Nigeria.

Still in the city of Lagos, you will find the Terra Kulture Centre located in Victoria Island, Lagos. It is owned by the lawyer and producer Bolanle Austen-Peters. It was established in 2003 and has organized over 300 arts exhibitions; numerous plays, concerts, and book readings.  Terra Kulture Centre is one of the two auction houses in Nigeria; it is home to contemporary visual and theatre arts in Nigeria. It holds a collection of thousands of art pieces from across the country. It is engorged a restaurant, craft shop, library, theatre, and art gallery.  Here is what you can do on tour: feast your eyes on the art exhibition, visit the bookshop and learn about African literature. And on Sundays, you can catch plays at the theatre. Don’t leave with an empty stomach, try to enjoy some of Nigeria’s best meals at the Terra Kulture restaurant.

If you are more into digital art, don’t worry. We have you covered; the Discovery Museum in Abuja will be a good place to explore digitized art. Located in the capital city Abuja, it was founded in July 2021, it is the first and only digital museum in Nigeria; the museum exhibits a mixture of Nigeria rich culture and history with technology. During your visit you will learn the history of Nigeria through visual documentary in the cinema, discover all the great Nigerian musicians throughout time in the music room, and the enchanting stories of Nigerian excellent writers in the literature room. Discovery Museum boasts of the military prowess of Nigerian soldiers and the classical architecture of olden houses where you will experience the virtual and tangible remembrance of the past. Discovery Museum is a child friendly place with its gaming center, children’s museum and playground!  

Your kids will learn history while having fun.

Stay posted for more to come.

Source:

www.iheanyiigboko.wordpress.com ,  www.Artbeat-ng.com ,

www.nikeartfoundation.com, www.terrakulture.com/

Discovery Museum Abuja: www.tripadvisor.com , www.images.app.goo.gl , www.hotels.ng/ , www.wikipedia.org/