It was a spectacle of astonishment, intrigue, splendour of cultural display and of course crafts as Lagos State Commissioner For Tourism, Arts and Culture, Pharmacist (Mrs) Uzamat Akinbile-Yussuf visits Oshodi Arts gallery in Ikorodu for the first time on the 1st of April 2022.
According to oshodiartsgallery.org, the chef-d’oeuvre of a museum that cottage over 17,000 arts anthologies hosted the honourable commissioner who was chaperoned by delegates from the Lagos State House Of Assembly (Committee On Tourism).
Received by the CEO (Dr Oshodi Seyi Paul), the art pilot did not disappoint as conventional, fascinating the Lagos State Government visitors with the best cultural performance by the white-clad Eyo masquerades.
Mrs Akinbile-Yussuf was thereafter, taken on a tour into the art gallery by Dr Oshodi, who inferred the delegates on the act of creating shrewd artworks from sculpture, paintings, including formulating other valuable crafts the gallery has to offer, impressing it guests at each step of work display and exposition.
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Dr Oshodi Paul, in a bid to maintain a progressive relationship with the ministry, drew the commissioner’s awareness to apprentices positioned around the gallery, creating new paintings, affirming the gallery’s capacity drive not only to produce but also to train interested art enthusiasts across the state, creating adequate employment opportunities in return.
Overwhelmed with excitement and genuine exhilaration, Mrs Akinbile-Yussuf lauded the CEO (Dr Oshodi Paul), dubbing the gallery a blessing to the tourism industry and a special attraction in Lagos State.
She continued, “I’ve finally seen what my ears have been hearing and honestly, this gallery has not been overhyped, it embodies what has been said about it”
“It is another goldmine sitting within the confines of Lagos State, I am amazed at all the collections kept in the gallery. I never imagined we’ll be having this kind of art collection centre here in Ikorodu”
“Let me also admire Dr Oshodi Paul, for stating that he wields this reputable outfit to train aspiring art lovers, I want to let him know that the Lagos state government is committed to letting the world know that places like this are projected to the forefront of the global creative industries”
“As an enabler, the ministry is planning to have a state exhibition for galleries like Oshodi arts to showcase itself, we’ll work collectively and look at areas for the necessary partnership to thrive, this is another way to touch lives and create employment opportunities” Mrs Akinbile-Yussuf asserted
Dr Oshodi Paul in his remarks thanked the commissioner and delegates from the Lagos state house of assembly for taking out time to peruse the gallery, adding that he looks forward to more creative contributions and support from the ministry.
“This ministry controls everything on Arts and tourism in Lagos state, having our honourable commissioner here today is a thing of joy and assurance of better progressive measures to come”
“Confidence of the fact that this present administration is very keen on uplifting youths with series of empowerment schemes, the ministry can as well cash into our numerous forms of empowering students and youths for us to take a lot of jobless individuals out of obscurity”.
“We’re looking forward to more synergy between oshodi arts gallery and the ministry of tourism, arts and culture in producing more creative masterpiece to take our sector to another level” Dr Oshodi Paul expanded.
“Others in attendance include; Hon Bonu Solomon (SA to the governor on Tourism), Hon Oluwa Rabiu (Chairman, Tourism committee LSHA), Hon Ege Sulaimon (tourism committee LSHA), Ambassador Ikechi Uko (CEO, Akwaaba Travel Market), Hon Apata Samson (Chairman, APTAN, Lagos), Mrs Kenny Saint Brown amongst others.
