Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Afrocultour, Mr. Chuks Akamadu, speaks on President Bola Tinubu’s visit to the United Kingdom, its impact on Nigeria’s arts and culture, among other salient issues. Charles Ajunwa brings the excerpts:
As part of his two-day state visit to United Kingdom, President Bola Tinubu and First Lady Oluremi Tinubu attended a special exhibition on Nigerian items put together by the British Royal Family. What do you make out of this Royal exhibition?
You see, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is the number one promoter of Nigeria’s arts and culture, and he did justice to that. His administration takes arts and culture seriously. He created the Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Ministry under the leadership of Hannatu Musawa. You can see that during his official outings in the United Kingdom, Mr. President and First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, wore mostly made-in-Nigeria materials. Even when they we’re departing Abuja, for the two-day state to United Kingdom on the invitation of King Charles III, the Nigerian First Family wore made-in-Nigeria clothes. At the state banquet organised on behalf the Nigerian leader held at St. George’s Hall, Windsor Castle and at the special exhibition of Nigerian items from the Royal Collection at Windsor Castle, President Tinubu and First Lady also wore beautifully made-in-Nigeria dresses. The First Family marketed Nigeria well on this historic international stage. King Charles while welcoming President Tinubu and the Nigerian delegation at a state banquet, greeted him in Yoruba Language- “E káàboo, sé dáadáa ni,” meaning “Welcome, how are you doing?” Social media platforms like X, Facebook, Instagram and others, are awash with good narratives and beautiful photos of the President’s two-day visit to United Kingdom. This is a powerful message coming from Mr. President.
President Tinubu attended another exhibition which featured over 250 works from 50 artists and curated by Osei Bonsu. The show highlighted how artists from the 1940s–1990s blended traditional techniques with international styles to forge a new post-colonial identity. What’s your take on that also?
I’d like to note that “Nigerian Modernism” is a momentous exhibition because it aspires to reframe Nigeria’s art history not merely as a peripheral story to Western modernism, but as a parallel and equally innovative movement that can stand alone on the merit. Interestingly, the period 1940s–1990s was the period when Nigeria transitioned from colonial rule to independence, and artists were actively involved in issues that bother on heritage, identity and global relevance. So, President Tinubu’s presence at such a show in the UK is beyond symbolism. It does have a functional value, because it positions Nigerian art as a cultural export and asserts Nigeria’s prominent place in global art history. Exhibitions like this are not just about aesthetics. Rather, they are essentially about cultural diplomacy, national image, and rewriting narratives of modernism to rightly include African input.
In my view, therefore, the UK exhibition which is both a celebration and loud artistic statement is coming at a most auspicious time. However, more than anything else, it celebrates the ingenuity of Nigerian artists who forged a new identity through art, and corrects the historical omission of African modernism from mainstream narratives. For Nigeria, it is a time of cultural affirmation. On the other hand, it is, for the UK, an opportunity to confront colonial legacies by looking herself in the mirror, while engaging with the richness of Nigerian creativity. Over all, I think it’s a commendable initiative.
How will this international exhibitions impact on Nigeria’s arts, culture, tourism and creative ecosystem?
It will help in demolishing erroneously held notions that tend to present Nigeria as being less endowed artistically. The impact will also include greater inspiration for players in the ecosystem to do a lot more; because beyond being an acknowledgement of significant contribution to world modernism, it will assert Nigeria as a dominant force in the global arts, culture, tourism and creativity habitat.
The exhibition also has a potential to stimulate interest amongst British culture enthusiasts who might like to visit Nigeria to further explore our vastly rich cultural and tourism assets. So, the exhibition can only leave the ecosystem better than the former met the latter.
What does Nigeria and United Kingdom share in common in terms of arts and culture?
Basically, both countries share the English Language as a common medium for artistic expression. This can clearly be seen in the various literary offerings of Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka – both globally renowned authors of Nigerian extraction and the legendary British-born William Shakespeare. Of course, the list is endless. Similarly, both countries cherish their museum and galleries, which they consider to be priceless cultural hubs. In the realm of music, Nigeria and United Kingdom are lovers of same art-form. Whilst Nigeria promotes afrobeat and highlife, UK enjoys rock, classical music and pop. Culturally speaking also, UK celebrates events like Notting Hill Carnival and Glastonbury, whilst Nigeria hosts traditional festivals such as New Yam, Osun-Osogbo and modern music festivals, all of which emphasise community, art, and cultural pride. So, both countries are deeply rooted in culture.
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