By Emem Idio, Yenagoa

A Professor of Graphics Design and Communication in the Department of Fine and Applied Arts, Niger Delta University, Bayelsa State, Professor Zifegha Ebigbagha, has described graphics design as veritable vehicle to drive readiness through advocacy and sensitization for sustainable development.

According to Prof Ebigbagha, the lack of development in African societies is caused by the inability of Africans to be sensitized and adapt development ideas to make their society develop.

Prof Ebigbagha, who stated this while delivering the 50th Inaugural Lecture of the Niger Delta University, NDU, held at the Faculty of Law Auditorium, on the topic: “But for Graphics, No Sustainable Development,” explained that graphics design which is information, can be used for education, communication, persuasion, and stimulation.

As a Professor of graphic design and communication, Ebigbagha’s focus is on the production/utilization of effective visual communication for prevalent non-literate target audience, and boasts of 27 publications in literary language and 154 in graphic language that elucidate and illuminate gray areas in art/design, which include composition, colour and creativity.

He said: “Sustainable development has to do with progress and growth that is from within and Prof Sophia in the Black World Day mentioned that we Africans have to look inwards if we must develop and one way of development is the readiness of man, and for the man to be ready, sensitization and advocacy is very crucial. To sensitize the man to get ready to adapt development ideas to make our society develop is one critical variable we lack in this our society.

“So instead of doing things that will develop our society we tend to steal, to be very unpatriotic because we have not been sensitized , but progress and development is in giving to society not in satisfying our ourselves. So the graphics design is a veritable vehicle to drive readiness through advocacy and sensitization.

“Graphics means information, it is also for education, it is also for communication, it could be used for persuasion, and to stimulate. When you are informed, you are educated, that sharpens your talents and makes you ready to use your creativity to convert it to solve problems in the society by so doing the system gets develop. So creativity for development could be hinged on graphics design for sensitization and advocacy.”

Prof Ebigbagha has developed materials and techniques that comprise thermoplastic acrylic sheet – a panacea for fallouts and discolorations, which plagued the technique of collage with paper and other materials. 

He has further advanced mathematical, verbal, and graphical gambits to the science world in art and design.