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.
Indeed, Nigeria’s 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, 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.
He added that, Nigeria is yet to tap into the African art market, currently serving as a feeder of arts to its counterpart across the globe, but expressed hope that, with the right support, Nigerian arts would rub shoulders with its peers in no distant time.
Speaking on the miniature art exhibition titled, ‘Small Is Beautiful,’ Â billed to take place between October 21 and 23 in Victoria Island, Lagos, he noted that, participants should expect more of art been miniaturised for visual enjoyment as it also plans to attract new customers to be lovers of art pieces.
Also speaking, the founder and chief executive officer, Liquiditti, IK Oragwu, who is also a collector of arts, 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.
“We have new arts and we have a full collection of artists that are coming to form right now and so Africa has a large part to play in the new world art is creating, “ he added.
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.
She stated that the art industry has a lot of economic potentials to offer, but is largely untapped, calling on stakeholders in the industry to bring the much needed support for the art industry.
