E-VISA: Karl Hala, Okundaye, Others Win Prestigious Culture Awards

By Justina Uzo

The founder of Nike Art Galleries in the country, Chief Nike Okundaye aka Mama Nike has been recognised for the work she is doing in the creative industries at the 2026 Eko Vanguard International Summit and Awards (E-VISA), an annual socio-cultural cum economic gathering of the movers and shakers of the culture and tourism ecosystem.

E-VISA is also a “powerful fusion of the creative economy, culture, tourism gastronomy, investments, partnerships, exhibitions, advocacy and awards further positioning Lagos, the entertainment capital of Africa with high-value networking and global visibility.”

Okundaye was recognised alongside Group General Manager of Continental Hotels Nigeria, Mr. Karl Hala; Director, Sales & Marketing, Eko Hotels and Suites, Iyadunni Gbadebo, and other creative people in the country.

The award honours role models who are using culture to direct funds as well as create employment for thousands, skilled and unskilled, both young and old.

E-VISA powered by Erelu Yeye Odua Foundation in partnership with Eko Tourism Foundation, the Nigerian premium public-private partnership for the tourism ecosystem under the Chairmanship of Lai Mohammed, and X -media Group.

The organisers of the E-VISA 2026 Summit/ awards stated that the art and craft people are recognized for coming together not only to “remember who we are but also to know our cultural economy and telling us our culture is enough to feed us.”

Alhaji Lai Mohammed who was the chairman of E-VISA 2026 under the theme “The Nigeria Sociocultural Economy: Promoting a Resilient Ecosystem for Sustainable Development,” said ” We must recognise that the future of Nigeria’s prosperity lies not only beneath the ground in oil, but within the minds, talents, and creativity of our people.”

HRH Abiola Dosumu, the Erelu Kuti IV of Lagos, who has been in the vanguard of culture for years, said the award recipients had actually brought a lot of benefits.

She thanked Okundaye, the founder of Nike Art Galleries in Nigeria, for her pace- setting job, saying that she brought Nigerian textile, Adire to the world stage.

“Chief Nike has packaged Adire and it has enhanced our well being,” she said with glee.

In the same vein, Erelu thanked people of Isale Eko who she said always long for Eyo festival.
She said: “Eyo cultural festival enriches, it bring a lot of benefits. People come from far and wide and everybody is buying, eating and drinking. It involves a lot of money.”

Alhaji Lai Mohammed said It was a great honour to serve as Chairman of the Eko Vanguard International Summit and Awards (E-VISA 2026).
“The sector has employed millions of Nigerians and contributed substantially to national GDP, demonstrating that creativity and culture are powerful economic drivers,” he noted.

Lai Mohammed who was the former Minister of Information, Culture and National Orientation was represented at the event by Dr. Nike Okundaye.
He commended the organisers for creating a platform that celebrates the power of culture, creativity, tourism, and enterprise in shaping the future of our nation, with Lagos proudly standing at the centre of this dynamic ecosystem.

He told a story on how “on the 19th of May 2020, at the height of the global pandemic, when economies around the world were struggling to survive, I inaugurated a 22-member Post-COVID-19 Initiatives Committee for the Creative and Culture Industry. The committee, made up entirely of private-sector practitioners, was tasked with assessing the devastating impact of the pandemic on the sector and recommending the most effective stimulus and policy initiatives that the Federal Government could adopt to support recovery.”

The report, he said, produced by that committee has since become something of a guiding document for Nigeria’s creative and cultural industry.

According to him, it highlighted what we already knew: that our creative ecosystem from film, music and fashion to tourism, hospitality, publishing, visual arts and events, is not only vibrant but also economically significant.

“Nowhere is this more evident than in Lagos, Nigeria’s cultural capital. Lagos is the beating heart of our creative industries, the home of Nollywood, the engine of our music industry, a hub for fashion, gastronomy, tourism, and major cultural festivals. Before the pandemic, twenty thousand events took place in Lagos every month, thus underscoring not just the city’s position as one of Africa’s foremost centres for culture, entertainment, and innovation, but also the vast business opportunities available.”

For him, the sociocultural economy represents a powerful alternative growth path, one that creates jobs for our youth, attracts global investments, strengthens our national identity, and expands Nigeria’s influence on the world stage.

While commending the organizers for their vision and for continuing to position Lagos as Africa’s sociocultural hub, pointed out that the vision requires strong partnerships between government and the private sector, sustained investments in infrastructure, improved access to funding, stronger intellectual property protection, and deliberate policies that empower creative entrepreneurs and cultural institutions.

“I encourage all stakeholders present, from policy makers to investors, artists, entrepreneurs, and cultural custodians, to work together to unlock the enormous potential of Nigeria’s sociocultural economy.

If we do so with purpose and commitment, we will not only build a stronger creative sector, but also create a more diversified, resilient, and globally competitive Nigerian economy,” he said.

Hala, one of the awardees, said E-VISA is not about discussion alone but about partnerships, implementation, and measurable outcomes. He called on stakeholders to move from conversation to execution, from potential to performance, and from visibility to value, pointing out that Nigeria does not need reinvention but alignment and acceleration.

He described a vision of a nation where culture is not history but industry, youth is not a challenge but the greatest asset, and tourism is not leisure but a serious economic driver.

He continued, “the power of E-VISA is not just an event but a platform of convergence where culture meets commerce, heritage meets innovation, and local potential meets global opportunity. Nigeria has over 250 ethnic groups, making it one of the richest cultural assets globally, while the creative economy already contributes over $7 billion annually and continues to grow rapidly.

With a population of over 220 million people and a median age under 19, he also stressed that this is not a challenge but an economic engine waiting to be structured.

He further explained that tourism globally contributes over 10 percent of global GDP, yet Nigeria captures only a fraction of this opportunity, while Africa receives less than 5 percent of global tourism flows despite its unmatched cultural and natural assets.

He said this is not a capacity issue but a coordination and positioning gap that must be addressed.

His wealth of experience across multiple roles, including supporting the development of a National Convention Bureau and working with the Ministry of Education on sector skills as well as partnering with organizations such as UNICEF, International Organization for Migration, GIZ, and the University of Lagos, platforms within hospitality, must have informed his view.

Nigeria, he said, does not lack potential but needs structure, alignment and execution.

“Tourism is the anchor where everything comes together. Globally one in every ten jobs is linked to the sector, yet in Nigeria it remains significantly underdeveloped relative to its potential. If properly structured, tourism can create jobs, drive SMEs, support culture, and attract foreign exchange. Tourism is not secondary but strategic.
While Nigeria receives global attention, it is not always the right narrative. Initiatives like the “Good News Nigeria” campaign are essential because perception drives investment, tourism, and partnerships,” he said.