Sanwo-Olu urges use of arts to drive transformation, fight societal ills

Says over 3,000 trained through state’s creative initiative
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, yesterday, underscored the power of artworks to drive social transformation and serve as a potent vehicle for information and reorientation, urging artists to deploy their creative skills to fight societal ills.

The governor spoke at the Greater Lagos Arts Exhibition, which was collaboratively organised by the Office of Lagos State First Lady and the state government through the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture for young artists to showcase their talents, network with their peers, and gain from the experience of veterans through mentorship.

Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by his deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, said since his assumption of office in 2019, his administration had left no one in doubt about the desire to fully harness the untapped potential of the entertainment sector, especially the creative arts component, as well as supporting and encouraging young talented individuals to grow and gain the exposure required to succeed in line with the THEMES agenda.

“One of the things the state government has also done is to create Lagos State Creative Initiative. Using that initiative, we have trained over 3,000 Nigerians in different skills, including films, and cinematography, among others. We used private sector experts to ensure that the beneficiaries are exposed to the best,” the governor said.

He said that the art exhibition, with the theme, “Art in and for Transformation,” was designed to feature knowledge-sharing discussions by highly successful and award-winning professionals by the state government to realise the objectives for the sector.

On her part, the First Lady, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, said the decision to collaborate with the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture on the exhibition was borne out of the genuine desire to open up opportunities for visual artists that stood out in their artistic work, adding that arts had been proven to be a powerful tool which helps people communicate with the outer world and better understand their inner selves.
While commending the enormous contributions of artists to socio-cultural and socio-political development,

She, therefore, challenged the artists to use their artworks to speak against ills in society, particularly the menace of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV).

The governor’s wife also called on the artists to deploy their talents to fight child labour, sexual discrimination, and discrimination based on disability status, as well as enlighten the people on mental health, among others.

Earlier in her opening remarks, the Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Uzamat Akinbile-Yussuf, commended the First Lady for her consistency and commitment, which according to her, ensured that the novel Greater Lagos Arts Exhibition becomes a reality.

In a paper presentation on the transformative power of visual arts, Prof. Kunle Filani said it was gratifying that Lagos had been blessed with a string of proactive and patriotic governors, including Sanwo-Olu who continues to make transformational changes and promote visual arts.

Filani, therefore, urged the state government to build its own museum and another iconic gallery of contemporary art, as well as embark on acquisition of diverse artworks by Nigerian artists to decorate significant offices to promote culture and creativity.