Get Guardian on GoogleEminent scholar and well-known sculptor, Franklyn Chu Egwali, a professor of Fine Arts (Sculpture) of the Department of Fine and Applied Arts, University of Benin will chair the panel session of The Artpreneurs: The untold story of Nigerian full-time studio artists on Tuesday, November 17, 2:00pm at this year’s Lagos Book and Art Festival (LABAF) holding at Freedom Park, Lagos Island, Lagos from November 16-22, 2026.
Other panelists are PR & Advertising guru, Dada Ajai-Ikhile, Founding Managing Director, Next Media Ltd; veteran journalist and Arts Editor THISDAY newspapers, Okechukwu Uwaezuoke; Founder Maritime TV Africa, Maritime Writes project and African Maritime Art Exhibition, Ezinne Chinwe Azunna and Communications professional and Programmes Manager, ODISO Leadership Academy, Rachel Nwose. They would be sharing their experiences of going through the Advance copy of the book.
Meanwhile, the first leg of the public presentation of The Artpreneurs will take place on December 3 at Exhibition Pavilion, opposite Radio House, Garki, Abuja at 11 a.m. prompt. Limited edition of the book would be available at a premium cost while the book will go live the same day on Boldscholar.com for the eCopy and Print on Demand for others at the cover price. The date for the Lagos presentation will be announced at LABAF panel session which is expected to be lively and interactive.
The Artpreneurs, the first compendium to focus exclusively on full-time studio artists in Nigeria is written by Oji Onoko, a former Arts and Review editor and later Deputy Editor at THISDAY newspapers, Pioneer member of the Editorial Board, The Sun newspapers and former Deputy Director/Head, Public Relations, National Gallery of Art. The book is based on a one-on-one interview with the 36 artists in their studios/homes [a few virtual] in Lagos, Abuja and Kaduna across three generations: The Pioneers, 1980s; The Bridge Builders, 1990s/2000s, and The Young Turks, 2010s.
Other events planned for the festival, which begins on Monday, November 16, include, Celebration of the 35 Years of the Committee for Relevant Art (Founded June 2, 1991), Screening of Documentary, Femi Osofisan@80 Sessions.
Also lined up is the presentation of COMEDICTION, an educational programme on Language & Literacy development. It is a communication-entertainment project — where pronunciation, language, humour, music, storytelling and audience interaction become creative material for entertainment.
There will be exhibition by members of the Cartoonist Network Association of Nigeria, an art workshop and collaborative installation, where participants will create artistic interpretations of their fingerprints using drawing, painting, collage, printmaking, etc.
