Culture

Tara Fela-Durotoye Receives Prestigious ROI Award

Published

1 year ago

September 10, 2025

Tara Fela-Durotoye receives the Royal Order of Iweri Award from the Olu of Warri, honoring her excellence and cultural impactTara Fela-Durotoye ROI Award recognition reached a new height in September 2025 as the House of Tara International founder was honored with the Royal Order of Iweri (ROI) Award by His Royal Majesty, Ogiame Atuwatse III, the 21st Olu of Warri. The award was presented during the 4th Coronation Anniversary celebrations in Warri, Delta State.

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The ROI Award, established by royal proclamation on August 24, 2024, is among the most prestigious honors in the Warri Kingdom, celebrating individuals who exemplify integrity, excellence, leadership, and cultural pride in service to Nigeria and humanity.

Tara Fela-Durotoye, widely recognized as a pioneer in Nigeria’s beauty and entrepreneurial space, joins an elite circle of honorees.

Her work through House of Tara International has transformed the beauty industry while advocating for female empowerment, cultural identity, and entrepreneurial excellence for over two decades.

“I am very, very excited for different reasons,” Tara shared emotionally. “The most cherished and loved Ogiame is one of the most respected monarchs in Nigeria. When someone of such caliber honors you, you feel that you have a double honor.”

The ceremony, one of the highlights of the Olu’s anniversary week, also honored Papa Ayo Oritsejafor, founder of World of Light Bible Church, and Dr. Helen Boyo Ekwueme, a cultural preservationist and philanthropist.

His Royal Majesty, Ogiame Atuwatse III, CFR, praised the awardees for their “unwavering contributions to the growth and pride of the Warri Kingdom.”

In line with his dedication to cultural continuity, the monarch presented cash awards to children who excelled in an Isekiri language competition, reinforcing the kingdom’s focus on preserving indigenous heritage.

The Royal Order of Iweri (ROI) is a royal distinction instituted in 2024 to recognize individuals—sons, daughters, or allies of the Warri Kingdom—who embody the values of service, excellence, cultural promotion, and moral integrity.

It serves not only as a symbol of honor but as an emblem of the Warri Kingdom’s aspiration to reward legacy-building efforts and uplift national pride.

The Tara Fela-Durotoye ROI Award stands as a testament to the impact of Nigerian entrepreneurs who blend business success with social change. Through training programs, retail outlets, and national campaigns, Tara has empowered thousands of women across Africa.

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Her journey illustrates how entrepreneurship can become a vehicle for cultural revival, economic growth, and personal empowerment.

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Culture

WAKE UP! Art Exhibition Returns for a Second Act

Published

2 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.

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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.”

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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.”