By Joan Odafe/Deborah Agboola

The National Gallery of Art (NGA) on Tuesday marked the 2025 Children’s Day celebration with an art exhibition to promote national unity and cultural understanding.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event had no fewer than 600 children from various schools in attendance.

The exhibition is with the theme, ‘Harmony in Diversity: Art as a Unifying Force’.

The Director-General of NGA, Mr Ahmed Sodangi, said the theme was a reminder of the power of unity in diversity, and the ability of art to bridge gaps that sometimes divide the nation.

Sodangi, who was represented by the Curator of NGA, Lagos, Dr Celestine Agoziem, said art creates spaces where harmony, respect and mutual appreciation could flourish, especially among children.

Speaking to the children, Sodangi said: “Arts speaks to our shared humanity; it transcends language, borders, and even time.

“Whether through painting, music, dance or drama, art uses the universal language of emotion to foster understanding, connection, and acceptance.

“You, our young ones, are living proof of this vision.

“Through your creativity, whether you’re drawing, singing, acting, or dancing, you bring to life the spirit of unity and enrich our world with new perspectives.”

He noted that though the world might seem divided, art could help break barriers, explore different perspectives and celebrate the beauty of collective experiences.

Sodangi urged institutions, both public and private, to be committed in nurturing the artistic talents of children and also empower them to express themselves freely and confidently.

He further urged the children to have compassion, empathy and deep respect for the different cultures and experiences that make up the world.

The Curator of NGA, Lagos, Dr Celestine Agoziem, said unity in diversity was a concept that acknowledges and celebrates the uniqueness of each individual.

Agoziem noted that Nigeria, as a country with over 250 ethnic groups and over 500 languages, could experience challenges including ethnic tensions and misunderstandings.

He, however, said when individuals from various backgrounds and cultures come together, the differences would enrich their communities and make them more vibrant.

He urged the participants to continue to push artistic boundaries that bring people together, celebrate one another’s differences and promote national unity.

NAN also reports that there was a showcase of various paintings from children from different schools across the state.

Cultural dances from different tribes including Yoruba, Igbo and Hausa, were also displayed at the event. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Folasade Adeniran

By Joshua Olomu

Prof. Felicia Ayatse, wife of the Paramount Ruler of the Tiv nation (Tor Tiv), Prof. James Ayatse, has urged the Federal Government to address incessant attacks on farmers in Benue State to curb food insecurity.

Ayatse made the call at the 2025 Mba’ Apostoli Festival, a fiesta that highlights food and cultural heritage, in Abuja.

The festival, with the theme, “Seeds of Prosperity: Agric Meets Culture”, had in attendance traditional rulers, culture enthusiasts, exhibitors and farmers, government functionaries, as well as sons and daughters of Tiv nation, among others.

According to the royal mother, the escalating attacks on farmers and destruction of crops by suspected militia herdsmen in the state’s border communities is a major threat to food production.

She noted that as Nigeria grapples with rising hunger and systemic food insecurity, the Benue situation needed to be addressed as a “national emergency” because of the strategic place it occupies in food production.

Ayatse, therefore, appealed to the President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government to direct security agencies to intensify efforts towards restoring lasting peace and ensure adequate security of affected communities.

“If there is any time we need to fight this hunger and food scarcity, it is now, and I want to use this opportunity to appeal to every one of us, particularly those who can help us reach the Federal Government.

“Although the Federal Government is making efforts to ensure there is peace and normalcy in Benue State, more needs to be done, because farming has seriously been brought to a halt in the state.

“The farmers are not going to their farms because of insecurity; they are being hunted and killed on a daily basis.

“If this trend is allowed to continue, hunger will wreck every part of Nigeria because Benue State has been, as the name implies, the food basket of the nation.

“Benue State occupies a very strategic position in the production of food in Nigeria, so we must ensure there is peace in the state.

“Besides ensuring there is peace and there is security of life and property in Benue State, I call on the Federal Government to help farmers in Benue State.

“The insecurity has been very terrible in the state, but it has never reached the dimension we have experienced this year, so the Federal Government should do whatever it can to assist the farmers.

“Otherwise, hunger is starring in our faces, not just in Benue State, but it is definitely going to affect the entire nation,” she said.

Ayatse, however, commended organisers of the Mba’ Apostoli Festival for using it as a platform for showcasing culture and food production, particularly the Tiv cultural heritage.  

“I want to ask the organisers to continue this very important festival, combining agriculture and culture, and we must ensure that technology is seriously encouraged and used at all levels of farming.

“I look forward to having this festival celebrated next year in Benue State,” she said.

Earlier in his welcome address, Operations Manager of the Festival, Dr Cletus Akwaya, said the annual cultural fiesta was aimed at preserving agricultural heritage, culture and building food-secure communities.

He, therefore, called on relevant government institutions, donor organisations and Nigerians of goodwill to ensure continuity of the festival in the FCT.

“This year’s theme reflects our determination to uplift not just our culture of farming, but also the vital role our crops: yam, cassava, sweet potato and cocoyam play in nutrition, food security and economic development.

“Support for this festival is support for food security, it is support for youth engagement, for rural development, for nutrition advocacy and for cultural preservation,” he said.

In his keynote address, Dr Khalid Ishiak, former Ag. Director General, National Agricultural Seeds Council, said agric and culture were intertwined, with culture influencing agricultural practices, knowledge and the value placed on food and farming.

He, however, noted that Nigeria’s inability to meet up with required optimum food production level has been attributed to factors such as population growth, climate change, conflict and displacement, post-harvest losses, among others.

In her remarks, Aveseh Asough, the Festival Director, said the annual event highlights both food and cultural heritage, fostering development, intercultural integration and promotion of peace in Nigeria.

“Now in its 7^th year, the Mba’ Apostoli Festival has grown into a landmark celebration of culture, agriculture and community development.

“From its humble beginning in 2019, the festival has evolved into a globally recognised platform, attracting thousands of participants annually, from farmers and food processors to cultural enthusiasts, youth groups and development actors,” she said. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Ekemini Ladejobi