By Gabriel Ewepu

ABUJA – IN a bid to leave no human resources behind, the Oye Art Gallery, has called for inclusion of special needs children to showcase their talents towards nation building.

The Creative Director and Arts Instructor of the gallery, Asha Adedayo Samuel at the opening of Oye Art Gallery owned by a Special needs child Oye Adegbola, said it is imperative for inclusion of special needs children in all spheres of life in order to harness their potential as their peers, which nobody will know it is from them.

Samuel also explained that the exhibition of art work created by Mr Oye was aimed at bridging the gap between persons with special needs and the wider society.

According to him, the exhibition seeks to challenge perceptions and highlight the unique contributions of individuals with special needs, therefore, the exhibition serves as a platform to promote inclusivity in the arts industry, media, and other forms of creative expression.

He added that individuals with special needs have valuable contributions to make and not relegated to the back-burner.

He said: “The goal of the exhibition is to bridge the gap between those with special needs and others in society. Everyone is special in their own way, and society would not be complete without them.”

“They don’t only need our support; we also need what they have to offer. Just as they rely on us, we also rely on them in many ways.

Adedayo also called on government at all levels to support children with special needs through funding, promotion, and deliberate inclusion in programmes and appointments.

He stated that the artist has won several awards both locally and internationally and as it stands, Mr Oye is the first Artist in Nigeria with Specify needs.

He stated that the Oye Art Gallery provides a dedicated space for inclusive artistic expression and collaboration, adding that it can also serve as a venue for government-backed exhibitions and programmes.

The mother of the Artist, Dr Eunice Adegbola, speaking with joy on the opening of the Gallery, said Oye’s talent was identified and fully established while he was younger.

Adegbola also said 16 years later, he has made them happy following their parental support because they believed in his talent despite his challenges.

Therefore, she urged parents to endeavour to identify the area of strength of their special needs children irrespective of the shortcomings and support them to become what they are destined to be.

“They should support them to acquire skills that will help them, everything is not about reading and writing”, she added.

Also in his remarks, the representative of the Director General of National Gallery of Art Emeka Odialu assured support and commitment to special needs children in Nigeria.