The Chairman/CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, NIDCOM,Hon Abike Dabiri-Erewa, said a mutually beneficial collaboration with National Gallery of Art, NGA , will not only help in appreciating the value for visual arts and artists in the Diaspora but also helps in recognizing that there is a huge revenue yet untapped in this field.
Hon.Dabiri-Erewa expressed this commitment when she received Mr Ebeten William Ivara, Director General, National Gallery of Art and top level Management Staff in her office in Abuja.
The NIDCOM Boss also added that plans were underway to put an end to the lip service concerning the issue of Data Collection and mapping of Nigerians in the diaspora especially Diasporans achieving great strides.
According to Hon Dabiri-Erewa “we must hit the ground running in this relationship between NIDCOM and NGA which has long been overdue’. She emphasized the amazing things Nigerians are doing in the visual arts in the Diaspora by highlighting the feat of Anthony Ayodele Obayomi the first Nigerian Visual Art Winner in Switzerland. She offered to link NGA with reputable Nigerians in the field of Arts in the diaspora and has promised to create a team of staff to work hand in globe to achieve desired results.
Director General NGA, Mr Ebeten William Ivara acknowledged and commended the Chairman/CEO, NIDCOM Hon Abike Dabiri-Erewa for her accomplishments over the years and congratulated her as the Commission recently clocked Two.
Mr Ivara explained the NGA’s mandate to include harnessing, harvesting and assembling all Visual Arts of Nigerians at home and in the Diaspora as repository of Nigeria’s socio- cultural and historical development.
He further informed that NGA has designed an online form for capturing and registering Nigerian Artists in the Diaspora to get proper documentation.
A Six-Member Working Committee between NIDCOM and NGA is to be constituted to fast track the process of Diaspora demographic mapping.
