by Agbaji Williams Olushola

The visual Art in its long aspiration and weary journey for recognition came to a joyous reality when Abdullahi S. Muku was appointed acting Director General of the National Gallery of Art sometimes in August, 2009.
The appointment, which brought about a new NGA, with a new Mission and Vision has lasted for yet a few months.

During this period, arts' enthusiasts have watched with delight the restoration and repositioning that has taken place in this sector.
Within this period in question, the NGA under the leadership of Mr. Abdullahi S. Muku, a seasoned administrator of high reputation who has been working intimately with professional artists of local and international recognition, has made bold efforts and recorded modest but concrete achievements which have, in all honesty, justify the confirmation of his appointment.

Going by his antecedents, within this short period of his tenure, he has made remarkable successes through resolute commitments, untiring efforts and astute management of very lean recourses in any course he believes in.
Today, he has confounded even his most ardent critics as most of them never believed he could make the required change needed in the art sector. He has shown that he is a man of grand vision and with mission. His programmes have impacted positively on SNA, AGAN Nigerian artists and artists in the diaspora.
Mr. Abdullahi Muku reiterates his determination to reposition modern works of art as an investment vehicle that will drive Nigerian economy to greater height. This he said can only be realized when all artists come together as one entity saying that without artists there will be no gallery.

The acting DG said that his position has not changed about the vision of the NGA to become a World-Class Gallery and Global Tourist Destination and also the mission statement which is to Serve as the Repository of Nigeria's Creative Spirit and to Promote the Appreciation of Nigeria's Art.
He went further by saying that one of his dreams is to make the Nigerian artists rank horn and compare favourably with their counterparts in other professions, where visual and the business of visual art occupy a pride of place within the circle of economic activities in our National discourse and ultimately where Nigerian art and artists consistently feature on the front page of Nigerian dailies.

PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION.
Since inception as Acting Director General, National Gallery of Art, (NGA) Abdullahi Muku, has vigorously embarked on the implementation of the Gallery's programmes, as I earlier on mentioned, within the available lean resources.
1. 2ND NATIONAL VISUAL ART COMPETITION
In October 2009, the 2nd edition of the National Visual Art Competition took place at Shehu Musa Yar'adua centre. This edition with the THEME, “Rebranding Nigeria through Visual Art“ was aimed at discovering and consolidating on the artistic genius of the Nigerian Pupils, Students and Professional artists and also to assist them to enhance their skills and creative abilities.

As you all know, one of the mandates, among others, of the National Gallery of Art is the organization of Visual Art Competitions and talent hunts in fine and applied arts. The beauty of this completion is that it provided opportunity for all categories of artists, including primary and secondary schools and also tertiary institutions as well as the professional, practicing artists, group. This competition has rekindled the fire of artistic creativity and nurture budding talents in Nigeria.

This competition is also targeted at achieving rapid economic development, through arts as envisioned in the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD) and Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Art education provides vital experience in acquiring skills for self reliance and indeed entrepreneurship education which produces jobs creators instead of job seekers.

Abdullahi Muku's doggedness saw this programme to a great successful end with laurels won in the three different categories, ranging from N50,000.00 for the Primary School Category, N100,000.00 for the tertiary and N200,000.00 for the Professional Categories respectively.

2. 2ND AFRICAN REGIONAL SUMMIT and EXHIBITION on VISUAL ART. (ARESUVA)
The 2nd African Regional Summit and Exhibition on Visual Art (ARESUVA) also was executed under a very stringent financial state. The 2009 edition of the event with the set objective of 'PROMOTING VISUAL ARTS AS A STRATEGY IN THE NEW PARTNERSHIP FOR AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT (NEPAD) which was specially designed to key into the 7-point agenda of the government in the area of education, youth development/e mpowerment, for job and wealth creation, was very successful.

The acting DG said in his opening address that economically, ARESUVA is aimed at opening new frontiers in the marketing of works of Arts across boundaries.
Among others, the programme brought together leaders in business, politics, media, government and the creative industry from African countries to discuss the key issues shaping the art and culture sector. The event, which is an avenue for networking amongst participants and art enthusiast featured symposium, workshop and exhibition for artists.

ARESUVA is positioned to become the pre-eminent biennial cultural and creative event in the African continent in highlighting the followings:
I. Encourage and facilitate visual art exchange and free mobility of African artists in terms of ideas, practice, content and presentation.

ii. Artists of African descent and African countries to better understand how to harness individual creative and cultural resources around sustainable tourism in order to attract global attention.
iii. It will develop a better understanding of the roles that industry, government, academia and community groups variously play in nurturing and supporting of a rich and diverse melting point of culture and creativity.
iv. Because of the success recorded at the 1st edition of ARESUVA, the National Gallery of Art was invited by the African Union (AU) to make a presentation of the event to the 2nd session of AU conference of the Ministers of Culture which was held on 19th 23rd October, 2008 in Algiers.

V. The presentation was accepted by the ministers of member nations, hence ARESUVA was endorsed and listed in AU's Cultural calendar of events.
The 7 thought provoking papers presented during the event highlighted the following issues concerning the Art and Economic Development of Africa in relation to NEPAD as contained in the Communiqué issued at the end of the 3day programme:

a. The values in art should not only be measured by monetary considerations but also by the intrinsic values of the works.
b. There cannot be any progressive economic development in Africa without art.
C. Handcrafted textile has the capacity to improve the economic and boost tourism in Africa.
d. Art is not only about recycling tradition and culture but should be used as a platform for industrial development.
e. Summit recognizes the contribution of the Government in providing art space; however, there is need for improvement or expansion.
f. There is need for Government to expedite action on the long standing legal backing for the creation of a National Endowment for the Arts (NEFA) in Nigeria.
g. Art should be taken to the African public so as to increase their awareness and appreciation of the subject.
h. Art should be entrenched at the lower levels of education through the involvement and mediation by tertiary institutions and related industries wherever they are located.

3. 4TH NATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON NIGERIAN ART
The National Symposium on Nigerian Art is organized by the National Gallery of Art annually. The 4th edition of this programme with the theme, 'Art and Technology in a Developed Society', took place took place at the School of Arts and Design, Yaba College of Technology, Yaba, Lagos, from 29th November 3rd December, 2009. The annual programme is designed among others, to bring artists and art scholars together to present and discuss well researched papers in various aspects of Nigerian art. It serves as an avenue for exchange of ideas, appraisal and awareness for art scholars who love the growth of modern Nigerian Art. It is actually geared towards contributing to scholarship and perhaps assists the various Art Schools and Movements as well as artists, museums and galleries of art to situate them appropriately and evaluate their contributions to the teaching, practice, management and cultural development.

Usually well researched papers presented are collated, typewritten edited and published for good readings for various levels of art schools in Nigeria. This package serves as reference point for artists, art teachers, art students, researchers and cultural administrators.

The 4th edition is so rich with the following sub-themes:
- Art and Technology; Symbioses for Aesthetic Growth and Development of the Society
- Sustainable and Architectural and Environmental Innovative Designs
- Stimulation of Computer Technology and comp graphics
- The Role of printing Technology in Design Communication
- Art, Tourism, Climate and Facilities Development
- Art/Technology and Hospitality Management in Nigeria
- The effects of Technology on the Teaching/learning Processes in Visual Art.
- Installation Art and Modern Nigerian art
- Conceptual Art; Content/Context in Nigerian Art
The Symposium which was well attended by art scholars, art collectors, art writers, art critics, the media and the general public received very useful contributions that will produced invaluable educational materials for art scholars/teachers, students, tourists and lovers which is a major step towards actualizing the educational aspect of the 7-point agenda.
The 2010 edition is scheduled to take place in the University of Maiduguri later in the year.

3. STAKEHOLDER'S FORUM
The National Gallery of Art Stakeholder's Forum is one of the viable programmes designed to know how best to move the Visual Art sector forward in order to position it to reap the benefits of the reforms which are on- going processes in Nigeria. It is an interactive exercise where captains of Industries, art scholars, artists, art collectors and connoisseurs, art gallery owners, Non- Governmental Organizations (NGOs), representative of UNESCO, Copyright Commission and the Diplomatic Community among others are brought together to brainstorm on matters affecting visual art and proffers possible solutions for improvement.
The forum is initiated in line with Government Reforms which is geared towards ensuring that every sector of the nation's economy has input from relevant institutions, corporate bodies, individuals and International Agencies in order to achieve sustainable economic growth and development as envisioned in the 7-points agenda.

4. SATURDAY ART CLUB
Mr. Abdullahi Sabo Muku in his determination to fulfill all righteousness with the NGA programmes has resuscitated the moribund Saturday Art Club.The programme which is a bi-weekly practical out of school lecture programme organized for pupils in the primary school is aimed at reaching the audience of about 50,000 children nationwide. It is also aimed at developing the interest of children in their formative age and as result tagged 'catch them young'. This initiative of the National Gallery of Art is to inculcate the love of visual art in the participating children which also cater for the Youth Development aspect of the 7-points agenda.