It was a historic moment last week, when an African American family of Sculptor Melvin Edwards came to Benin, Nigeria with cremated ash of his late wife, poet Jayne Cortez for final burial. The quiet and symbolic ceremony underlies the eternal connection between Africa at home and Africa in the Diaspora.

One can call it a dramatic come back to her first love or an era of fulfillment. After three decades of perfunctory practice, she returns with her strongest body of works featuring her recent pieces, embodied with variety that announces her as a brilliant and intelligent artist and also, works of her son, a modernist, full of strength and vigour of a youth whose style geared towards the “”tablet-age” contemporary with a speed and refinement in modern art.

Last week, Nigerian artists under the umbrella of an association called Artists Collective held a rally to challenge Federal government’s decision to make the nation’s cultural symbol, the National Theatre, a five star hotel.

At an evening of conversations with media men and art enthusiasts which took place last Wednesday at Jazzhole, Ikoyi, as part of activities lined up to commemorate the 70th birthday of Professor Bankole Omotoso, the short story writer, novelist, dramatist, critic, actor, biographer of Nigeria, founding General Secretary and a former President of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), seized the opportunity, to open up on reasons for his relocation abroad which he said was as a result of the social realities of the country.

Ifeoma Fafunwa will be taking a second stab at the global phenomenon but this time she will be directing the Nigerianized version.