Runsewe fetes Okundaye as Nike Art branch is launched in Abuja

The Director General of, the National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), Otunba Segun Runsewe, has described the proprietor of Nike Art Gallery, Chief (Mrs) Oyenike Monica Okundaye as a woman of substance with an overriding motivation to revolutionize the visual art industry.

Speaking during a visit to Nike Art Gallery in Abuja, the D.G commended Okundaye’s commitment at empowering young men and women with creative skills, not only in arts and crafts but also in traditional fabric making towards self-employment.

Runsewe in conjunction with the major stakeholders in the culture and tourism industry gathered at Nike Art Gallery to celebrate the commitment, hard work, creative ingenuity and sheer resilience of one he called “an outstanding personality in the sector.

He added that Nike Art Gallery with centres in Osogbo, Lagos, Kogi and now in Abuja, is providing employment for thousands of unemployed Nigerians.

He noted that the numerous activities of Mama Nike in the Art Galleries are impacting on Nigerian economy by contributing to the nation’s Gross Domestic Products (GDP) and stimulating overall economic growth.

Runsewe pointed out that Mama Nike Art Gallery has become a veritable platform for research and academic scholarship, noting that the Gallery in Osogbo now admits undergraduate students in tertiary institutions in Nigeria, Canada and the USA for Industrial Training programmes in Textile Design, Traditional Arts and Culture, Yoruba Adire fabric processing and African Dyeing method.

In her response, Chief Okundaye popularly known as Mama Nike, expressed her appreciation for all the efforts and contributions that the Runsewe has put into making the Abuja branch of Nike Arts Gallery a reality.

She added that Runsewe has contributed so much in the cultural industry and has been so supportive from the conception stage of her art gallery to the stage it is now.

She also expressed her deepest appreciation to him as well as the management and staff of NCAC for their support all through the years.

Answering questions from journalists, the DG enjoined the media to tell the world that there is an Ultra-modern Gallery in Abuja that is comparable to the ones outside the country.

He urged every Nigerian to consider Nike Art Gallery as a marketing destination in cultural tourism.