The Nigerian artist has established his stand very firmly in the nation and happy to know that the industry is acknowledged by the government of the day but why is the government not showing enough interest in the affairs of the industry?

The Art Galleries Association of Nigeria (AGAN) a body formed for the purpose of protecting the individual, collective, private, corporate and national interest of everyone connected with the business of arts, crafts, antiques, artifacts and other cultural products is poised to rebrand the image of the country through arts.

The historic British Expedition of 1897, which led to the looting of more than 900 cultural artifacts from the palace of Oba Ovoranwem by the British invading forces was one military expedition that launched Benin, the capital of Edo State in world historical map.

It seems there is nobody in the whole of Great Britain who can persuade the Director of the British Museum, Neil MacGregor, to refrain from making atrocious statements about cultural matters, especially about cultural objects of others which have been looted or removed under dubious circumstance and brought to the British Museum.

IT is one thing to concession out a property, and it is another thing to develop and put to good used the concessioned property. It is on the recognition of this fact that one appreciates efforts of the management of BHS International, the successful bidder at the concession auctioning of Tafawa Balewa Square three years ago.

THE Edo State Festival of Arts and Culture, EDOFEST 2009, billed for November is gradually coming on stream with the inauguration of the local organizing committee by the state commissioner for arts, culture and tourism, Barrister Vincent Akhere recently.

When an individual or a group of individuals start to dream, they set loose some jawdropping miracles. I am speaking from experience for I have recently been witness to the miracle of the Storymoja Hay festival in Nairobi.

The glittery glove that Michael Jackson wore when he unveiled his moonwalk on TV in 1983 is hitting the auction block. This one isn’t like his other glittery gloves, which were made for the right hand and adorned with hand-sewn crystals.

EFCC’s swooping of parastatal heads on allegation of misappropriation of funds and subsequent arraignments in courts without regards to due processes only but point to the fact that there is either a conspiracy from some quarters to achieving some selfish agenda or that the actions are intended to carry out a clean sweep exercise in the Ministry with the aim of replacing present professional administrators with political cronies.

In preparation for the hosting of this year’s National Festival of Art and Culture (NAFEST), Governor Babangida Aliyu has said that projecting the rich cultural heritage will be central to a successful rebranding project of the nation.