Culture

Fuji icon Dr Adewale Ayuba hails President Tinubu’s culture and tourism merger as a creative industry “game-changer”

Published

2 years ago

October 25, 2024

Nigerian Fuji star Dr Adewale Ayuba commends President Tinubu’s merger of culture and tourism ministries, calling it vital for the creative sector.

Renowned Fuji musician Dr Adewale Ayuba has praised President Bola Tinubu’s recent merger of the tourism and culture ministries as a transformative decision for Nigeria’s creative industry.

Speaking in Lagos on Friday, Ayuba lauded the merger as a “game-changer” that could elevate Nigerian arts and culture on the world stage, particularly in the music sector.

Also read: Tinubu’s reforms: President scraps Niger Delta and sports ministries, merges tourism with culture

The reorganisation, announced as part of a minor cabinet reshuffle, sees the establishment of a consolidated Ministry of Arts, Culture, Tourism, and Creative Economy, following the dismissal of Mrs Lola Ade-John from her role as the former Minister of Tourism.

In a conversation with local reporters, Ayuba shared his enthusiasm for this development, expressing confidence that the new structure will not only boost tourism but also provide an ideal platform for Nigerian creative expressions to gain global recognition.

“President Tinubu has taken a beautiful step by merging the tourism industry with the arts, culture and creative economy because tourism and culture have to operate seamlessly to harness the full potential of the creative industry,” Ayuba stated.

Highlighting the critical role of music as a cultural export, Ayuba urged the new Minister of Arts, Culture, Tourism, and Creative Economy to actively promote cultural exchange programmes, especially in partnership with international creatives.

“Foreigners want to come and discover more about our music. We should create programmes that would attract them,” he said, noting the untapped potential for genres like Fuji, Apala, and Waka to reach broader audiences.

In particular, Ayuba stressed the importance of expanding global appreciation for Fuji music. “Fuji music can be given global prominence by organising cultural exchange programmes between local artistes and those of other countries,” he said.

He also called for increased support for up-and-coming Fuji musicians to gain recognition, suggesting that ministry-backed initiatives could help them achieve lasting success in both Nigerian and international markets.

As Nigeria’s culture and tourism sectors look to synergise under this new ministry, Ayuba’s vision of a future where Nigerian music enjoys greater international exposure could soon become a reality.

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Culture

WAKE UP! Art Exhibition Returns for a Second Act

Published

4 weeks ago

August 27, 2026

Mariam Balogun

The contemporary art and photography exhibition “Wake Up!” is back again for a second edition.

Curated by Awele Onwordi, Wake Up! 2 exhibition pays homage to the Nigerian youth and burgeoning street culture which many of its contributing artists reference in their works.

Also read: Five rising stars battle for 2026 Headies Next Rated

Titled “Young, Wild, Free”, the exhibition celebrates the creativity, resilience, freedom and cultural influence found in Nigerian youth.

Taking aim at societal issues and economic concerns, the exhibit reflects the youth and their refusal to compromise or bow despite all the challenges stacked against them while charting youth culture through art, music, fashion, skateboarding, photography and community.

The exhibition will be held, once again, at the Angel and Muse Gallery at 25 Sumbo Jibowu street off Ribadu Road off Awolowo Road in Ikoyi.

It will open on Saturday 5 September 2026 and will run until 11 September 2026
This second edition which focuses on celebrating, nurturing and exploring artistic practices rooted in youth and street culture will feature works from DENCITY and SUPERGLIDER HOUSE.

Exhibiting artists include Ajilore Kehinde – their work is deeply influenced by Nigerian street culture and works of other artists like Slawn, Peters Ejiro, etc, Chuka Onwordi – graphic designer who embodies themes of death, melancholy and beauty in his works, ZIDYEP – Abuja based creative whose works move between digital and physical spaces through art, graphic design and air brushing , Franklyn Okoye – graphic designer and artist whose works explore themes of identity and hyper-reality, Awele Onwordi – founder & curator of WAKE UP and multidisciplinary artist whose practice spans character art, creative logo design, album covers and more , Oluchi Kogolo – digital illustrator whose work explores street culture, personality and storytelling through a raw and playful visual style and Kozetuo Apeji – multidisciplinary artists who work explores experimental approaches to problem solving through both digital and traditional art forms.

Commenting on the exhibition in her curatorial statement, Awele noted that “despite economic instability, limited opportunities and socio-political challenges, Nigerian youth continue to shape culture through music, fashion, art, skateboarding, raves, photography and community.”

Also read: Five rising stars battle for 2026 Headies Next Rated

Continuing and harping on the raison d’etre of the exhibition she said, “Young, Wild and Free exists to celebrate Nigerian youth while also creating a platform that supports and amplifies them.”