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By Brown Chimezie
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-olu and his Borno State counterpart, Babagana Zulum, are among the high profile personalities expected from across the country and in the Diaspora, at the first ever arts exhibition in Nigeria to raise fund for Internally Displaced Persons(IDP) in the country. The charity event which is tagged Art For A Cause will hold at the iconic The Art Hotel, Yesufu Abiodun Oniru Way, Victoria Island, Lagos from December 10.
The Charity Through Art exhibition is the brain child of a young Nigerian female serial entrepreneur, Olasubomi Fagbewesa, who is concerned with the plights of IDPs in various camps in Nigeria especially in Borno, Benue and other states in the North East, North Central and North West of the country.
According to Ms Fagbewesa, the art exhibition is aimed at raising more funds from individuals, corporate and government agencies to assist the efforts of national and sub-national governments and international organisations to alleviate the sufferings of Families living in the IDPs by providing medical care, food and other basic needs of life especially for children and women who are most impacted by insurgencies and banditries.
Quoting from a report which paints a grim picture of the situation of IDPs in the country, Fagbewesa said: “As at February 2023, the DTM identified a total of 2, 388,703 IDPs in 488,163 households and 2,110,039 returnees in 346,166 households”. She said there are over a million people displaced by insurgencies living in about 290 IDPs across Nigeria.
Explaining further, Fagbewesa who is one of the directors at The Creative Handlers Company, said exciting and valuable art works by notable Nigerian artists will be exhibited and part of the proceeds from the sale will be donated to the IDPs in Bornu State in this first of many arts exhibitions and other fund raising activities that will come up next year. Some of the artists whose works will be displayed are Dr. Bolaji Ogunwo, Prof, Mike Winter, Greg Onyeka, Dotun Makun, among others.
She appealed to individuals, Foundations and other corporate organisations to support the Charity Through Arts exhibition by sponsorship and donations to the cause so that through the initiatives, the families in the IDPs can be empowered and resettled
