A group of artists recently organised an art exhibition in Nigeria to support internally displaced people at various camps among the 219 IDP camps in Nigeria.
According to the initiator, Olasubomi Fagbewesa, the five-day art exhibition, hosted at the Art Hotel, Lagos, was an opportunity to generate revenue, improve the quality of life of the displaced, and bring visibility to the unique artistic talents of all artists involved.
“The idea is to help as many people as you can because a lot of people are struggling and need help. I know we are all facing different challenges, but as much as we can, we should try to help others and try to lift someone up,” she explained.
She stated that Borno State was chosen because of the high level of insurgency, adding that earnings from the exhibition will be split among five of the most populous IDP camps in the state, such as Bakassi, Dalori 1 and 2, Mogcolis, Gubio, and Doro camps.
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Speaking at the event, the Chairman of TIS Renewable Energy, Okozie Okuikpe stated that artists could paint a visual picture of what is going on in the IDP camps and therefore attract some of the rich to buy the paintings.
“These artists put their efforts into this and want to sell it at a discount so that people can actually buy them, and they are ready to split the proceeds to bless the people in the IDP camps.
“We are passionate about this because we don’t know the future and possibilities of a child; we all have a role, not only government but also well-meaning people,” he said.
He further called on the government to end insurgency and begin to tap into the human resources at its disposal, as the population is one of the greatest assets of a nation.
He also added that the government should make sure that resources appropriated for the IDPs actually get to them.
In attendance at the exhibition were the wife of former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Rakiya Sanusi, and the daughter of former CBN Governor, Aisha Sanusi Lamido, amongst others.
