The community of artists in Nigeria and around the world hereby call on the Commissioner of Police in Lagos to drop the 4-count criminal charge (Charge No MM/E/01/16) instituted against the performance artist Jelili Atiku, widely believed to have been sponsored by the traditional ruler of Ejigbo community, Oba Morufu Adekunle Adisa Ojoola, the Oojon of Ejigbo/Ijan kingdom in Lagos State.

I was so overwhelmed by the violence in Kivu and I was thinking, what can I do as a writer and journalist to help these people live through their trauma. So, I decided to let the world know about their sufferings and come to their aid. I took one person, a Congolese gynaecologist, Dr Denis Mukwege in Panzi Hospital in the outskirts of Bukavu, eastern DR Congowho has been a hero in the sense that he has helped the people especially women and children recover from rape and violence meted on them during the war. We got the women to stage the scenes through the life and testimonies of Dr Mukwege. The book was published three years ago and finally we made the film. Thierry Mitchel made the film and I am co-author of the film, ‘The Man Who Mends Women’.

Few years ago, Professor Hope Eghagha of the Department of English, University of Lagos, Akoka, was kidnapped on his way to Asaba while still working as the Commissioner for Higher Education in Delta State, a position he held between 2009 and 2014. It was a terrible encounter which he said, he will never wish for his enemy. His ordeal in the hands of his abductors lasted for days that looked like eternity.

The National Arts Theatre, Nigeria’s culture home located in Iganmu, Lagos State, has for long been in the news, sadly, for the wrong reasons. After series of threats by past administrations, to either sell out-rightly or concession the national edifice and, or to demolish the Artists’ Village located within the environ of the monument, the space which has in recent years, served as a community for over 100 Creative individuals, was finally demolished last Saturday.

Arrangements have been concluded for the official launching of Top Flyers Magazine, a quarterly magazine published by Pysmaco Ltd. Covering areas such as, house warming, social events, pageantry, coronation etc, ‘Top Flyers Magazine’ is unique in that it differs from others especially as regards the content and quality which is of international standard. It is also rich in promoting the rich cultural heritage of Nigeria as portrayed in the fashion pages which showcase local models and traditionally manufactured fabrics representing the diverse ethnic groups in the country.

Be it in Art or in any other fields, there are some simple rules of success which are no secrets. One of the rules or principles of success is to seek to bring out the best in others by helping and empowering them in order that we may be empowered. Thus, in empowering others, I too have been empowered from various sources.
The second rule is practise, practise, practise! By practising regularly, I have been able to hone my skills and gain recognition and visibility in a male-dominated business.

Ability to provoke engaging debates about the present situation in the country is one inimitable quality in Ndidi Dike’s latest art works and Installations on exhibit at the National Museum Onikan, Lagos.

ISSUES of sexuality especially as regards the girl child and her empowerment, will take the centre stage as Victor Mba,one of Nigeria’s most talented artists opens his first solo exhibition at Didi Museum, Lagos tagged In The Beginning. Mba who is having his first solo after turning to art 6 years ago, after a stint in the banking sector, has taken up the huge task of interrogating the pros and cons and the brouhaha relating to sexuality of not just Nigerians or Africans but that of the entire globe.

It is doubtful if the historical records of both pre- and post-independent Nigeria politics would not be raped judging by the acts of its handlers and professional propagandists. Suffice to say that the lineage of Nigerian politicians have cowardly indicted the basic content of the manual of the past heroes who fought with all brands of determination to terminate slavery as engendered by the British colonists.

A String of Sweets is an anthology of poetry written by Tony Afejuku.. The anthology comes to us as a phoenix of varied human thoughts recollected in moment of tranquility. A Spring of Sweets, can better be described as a diary of diverse human experiences in lyrics. Also, one may be correct to say that the anthology validates the immense capacity of the human mind to recollect and to reflect on avalanche of man’s unavoidable encounters with the many hurdles of life. Perhaps, the reason this writer is of the view that the anthology is a mixed bag of exhortations of love, passion, patriotism, courage and admiration on one hand.