By Damiete Braide
Three days ago, Nigeria’s biggest art spaces in the heart of Nigeria’s capital city, Abuja, was abuzz as Nike Art Foundation opened a new art gallery.
Chief Reuben Osaruyi Okundaye, a former commissioner of the gallery, who spoke to the press in Lagos before the official opening, recalled the journey to fruition: “We approached the Federal Government in 2000 to give us a land to build a cultural centre for Nike Art Foundation, which they granted and allocated a 5.1 hectares of land in a choice area in Abuja, which is earmarked to develop a district of federal institutions.
“In 2004, we developed a mini Nike Art Gallery on that land, which also housed the first of its kind a textile museum. On November 22, 2004, we invited FCT Minister, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, who opened the first phase.
“As we said in our welcome address then, we had the intention of opening an ultra modern art gallery that will feature various segments of arts and culture. That edifice has been completed, and it is one of the best galleries in Nigeria and Africa.
“It is a two-floor building which occupies a larger space and there will be several sections of arts like textile, sculptures, antiquities that reflect Nigerian cultural heritage , paintings of visual arts by different artistes while the construction is focused on Nigerian heritage.”
Chief Reuben said Nike had been on the trail of arts for over 50 years and he found something unique in my wife, adding, “She is not deterred in doing something what she wants to do as long as it benefits humanity and that that has propelled her in doing these.”
Commenting on the art village in Abuja, Chief Nike Okundaye said: “I feel good, because we started the gallery before the one in Lagos. We got to Abuja, and it was when Mallam Nasir El-Rufai visited the place that there was a spotlight. We later developed the gallery in Lagos and, now, Abuja gallery is there for people to visit.
“We want people to see something in their own environment where they can go to see art and relax. We want to bring in theatre and build structures with mud where tourists will come to Nigeria and see an art village and also where film producers can shoot their movies. People can come there and hold workshops, while fashion shows can also take place there.”
The cultural icon enjoined parents not to discourage their children in whatever profession they want to go into, and “If they notice that a particular child has a talent for arts, they should encourage him or her.
“Some parents stop their children from studying what they love, and, sometimes, it makes them have mental problems and they later would need therapy to get healed. Parents should support their children and that child will become successful.”
She urged men whose wives are artistes to support them in their arts, and not discourage them. I know a man whose wife is an artist and one day, she was working on a piece of art for him on his birthday but the man got angry and spoil the artwork, because the wife had not cooked his meal.
“Nigeria does not know the value of what they have and I do tell them that artistes are their human living treasure. I was honoured with a national award in Abuja by the Italian government through their ambassador to Nigeria during the regime of former president Olusegun Obasanjo and was told to come and train 5000 Nigerian prostitutes in Italy. I used arts to train 3000 of them, and they were taking off the streets.
She disclosed there were about 50,000 artistes in Nigeria and women did not constitute up to 1000 artistes. She admitted: “And we are struggling among the male artistes, whereas, in developed countries, female artistes are supported. The month of March should be used to celebrate women, so I am pleading that when you train a woman, you train a nation. We need more support for female artistes.”