Ecobank Nigeria and Soto Gallery have intensified their efforts to elevate arts in Africa to gain more patronage outside the continent.
The bank’s Head SME of Partnership and Collaboration, Ms Omoboye Odu, stated this during this year’s edition of the +234 Art Fair, themed: ‘Championing Patronage in Nigerian Art,’ held in Lagos, saying the bank is committed to providing support to Nigeria’s artists.
“One of the sectors we have identified is the creativity sector. We have seen the success of Afro-vibes, Afro-beats of Nollywood and now the Art space.
“The Art market is estimated to be about 70 billion dollars with North America having the largest space in that market.
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“How can Africa Art, being the talents that we have seen and the creatives evolve to take the place of North America. That is where Ecobank comes in, we provide the platform by working with people in the Art space to give that voice and that access to financial acumen in the large market,” she said.
She reiterated the bank’s commitment to support SMEs to thrive and become players in the global market.
“Ecobank is the deliberate solution to solve financial inclusion of Africans but we have to realise that the problem is solved by creating a platform where SME can involve from local to global players,” she said.
The founder of Soto Gallery, Ms Tola Akerele, reiterated the commitment of the +234 Art Fair to supporting emerging Nigerian artists, especially those without gallery representation.
“We do an open call every year to ensure that artists from all over Nigeria have an opportunity to showcase their work. Our aim is to encourage emerging artists, particularly those outside Lagos, by giving them visibility and a chance to grow within the industry,” she said.
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