Gilbert Ekugbe
A Representative of Patrons Modern & Contemporary African Art, an art advisory and dealership firm, Peter Imo, has called on the federal government and corporate bodies to support the growth of the nation’s untapped art industry.
He said the Nigerian art industry has the capacity to engage the nation’s teeming unemployed youths while also creating wealth for the country.
In an interview with newsmen at the recent miniature art exhibition titled, “Small is Beautiful,” Imo said the federal government and corporate bodies have not done enough to support the art industry to tap into the $13 billion African art market.
In his words: “I think if we are talking about driving art as a project or as a tool for communicating, I will say the government is not doing a lot and even corporate bodies. I think the government should actually make it a policy to have Nigerian artists, and not just Nigerian but African artists, to patronise art for public buildings. They should have arts as part of their plan when they are constructing a building. We can also create lots of employment opportunities for Nigerians while also generating foreign exchange for the government by way of export of Nigerian arts. I think there is a lot they can do right now and this is the time.”
Also speaking, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Liquiditti, IK Oragwu, who is also a collector of art works, also called on the federal government to create the enabling environment for the art industry to thrive, stating that Nigeria has the largest population in Africa with many big names who have made their marks in the African art space.
On her part, the Head, Sales, Commercio Partners, Taiwo Adegbulugbe, said art is an important tool for preserving wealth, adding that as financial advisors, Commercio identifies art as an area it would tap into to drive the nation’s art industry.
