As part of activities marking the first anniversary of Yaba Art Museum, the inaugural meeting of art schools lecturers in Nigeria held  at the Yusuf Grillo Auditorium of Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) recently.

The meeting, convened by Yaba Art Museum, was aimed at bringing together creative intermediaries and representatives of art schools across higher education institutions in Nigeria to critically discuss and work out solutions, collaborations and development plans towards art museums across Nigeria’s tertiary education sphere.

The meeting was declared opened by YABATECH rector, Obafemi  Omokungbe, represented by the deputy rector, academics, Dr. (Mrs.) T.A. Ukabam. In his address, the rector opined that recommendations proffered at the meeting should be added to the curriculum so to advance art education in Nigeria.

The representative of the board of trustees, Yaba Art Museum, Yemisi Adedoyin Shyllon, founder/CEO of Omooba Yemisi Adedoyon Shyllon Art Foundation, and who is also Nigeria’s largest private art collector, spoke on challenges facing the art sector in Nigeria.

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He denounced the collective attitude towards artworks, especially ethnographic artworks, which, because of religious indoctrination, are now labelled fetish or seen as juju/voodoo. He also kicked against the restitution of stolen artifacts from around the world because when they are brought back, Nigeria lacks the capacity to preserve the art work.

Earlier, Mr Mackemjika Dabesaki spoke in support of restitution of the lost or stolen ethnographic art work to be brought back to their abode.

During a chat with the curator of the museum, Dr. Odun Orimolade, she revealed that the Yaba Art Museum is not just a museum for only showcasing artworks, but is also an education-based institution.

Yaba Art Museum, a project funded by Ford Foundation was recently listed as one of Lagos State Tourism sites by Lagos State Ministry of Tourism, Art & Culture, like the Museum, since it was unveiled in November 2020  has been at the forefront of presenting Art Exhibition that supports Youth Advocacy, Social Justice, Sexual Harassment Gender-Based Violence.