A Nigerian cultural advocate, Mudiare Onobrakpeya, has called on President Bola Tinubu to strengthen government support for the country’s arts sector as he prepares to attend a Nigerian modernism exhibition at Tate Modern in London.
Mr Tinubu is scheduled to be the guest of honour at the Nigerian Modernism exhibition as part of his state visit to the United Kingdom between Tuesday, 17 and Thursday, 19 March.
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The president and his wife, Remi Tinubu, will be hosted by King Charles III and Queen Camilla at the Windsor Castle from Wednesday, 18, to Thursday, 19 March.
Appeal
In an open letter on Tuesday, Mr Onobrakpeya called on Mr Tinubu’s government to allocate a fixed percentage of public infrastructure budgets for art.
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He also suggested the establishment of a national museum dedicated to modern Nigerian art, the creation of a comprehensive digital archive of the country’s artistic heritage, and increased support for international exhibitions showcasing Nigerian works.
“As you walk through these galleries, you will encounter works that helped Nigeria imagine itself at a critical moment in its history,” he wrote.
He, therefore, called on the federal government to provide tangible support through grants, subvention and structured sponsorship, describing such measures as investments rather than acts of generosity.
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Mr Onobrakpeya, an artist and curator, argued that integrating artistic works into schools, hospitals and civic buildings would help embed culture into everyday life.
“If the arts are to take their rightful place in Nigeria, then support must move beyond recognition into commitment. Subventions, grants, and structured sponsorship are not acts of generosity—they are investments in a sector that has already demonstrated its value, both economic and cultural,” he added
Nigeria’s growing art sector
Mr Onobrakpeya noted that the hosting of the exhibition at the Tate Modern underscores Nigeria’s growing influence in global cultural discourse and the need for stronger institutions at home to sustain that influence.
He described the exhibition as a defining record of how Nigeria came to understand itself through art.
He said that while Nigerian art is gaining global recognition, with increasing interest from collectors and international institutions, the domestic structures needed to sustain the sector remain weak.
“Today, Nigerian art is receiving renewed global attention. Collectors are looking. Institutions are engaging. The conversation has shifted. Yet at home, much of the structure supporting this momentum remains fragile,” he said.
Highlighting the contributions of pioneering modernist artists such as Ben Enwonwu, Uche Okeke, Demas Nwoko and Bruce Onobrakpeya, Mr Onobrakpeya noted that their works shaped a uniquely Nigerian approach to modern art by blending indigenous traditions with contemporary expression.
He added that institutions like the Bruce Onobrakpeya Foundation and the Nike Art Foundation have trained generations of artists and sustained creative development over the years.
He pointed to platforms such as the Art X Lagos and the +234 Art Fair, as well as the Art Galleries Association of Nigeria, as key drivers of visibility for emerging artists, noting that their success has largely been achieved without strong government backing.
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The landmark show is the first major UK exhibition dedicated to the story of modern art in Nigeria, tracing its evolution from the 1940s through to the turn of the 21st century.
The exhibition is organised chronologically and thematically, moving through the shifting political landscape of Nigeria—from colonial rule to independence in 1960 and the subsequent civil war.
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