The National Gallery of Art (NGA) has initiated a comprehensive suite of strategic reforms aimed at the systematic restoration, documentation, cataloguing, and digital preservation of the National Art Collection.
Speaking at a press conference in Lagos on Monday, the Director-General of the NGA, Mr Ahmed Sodangi, said the initiative was aimed at improving access to and safeguarding Nigeria’s rich artistic heritage.
Sodangi explained that the reforms were structured around four core pillars, which include a review of the Gallery’s enabling Act and internal restructuring, such as the rebranding of the institution itself.
He added that one key area of focus is the implementation of the National Art Renaissance Programme, designed to catalogue and digitally preserve artworks valued at billions of Naira.
Highlighting the importance of staff development, Sodangi stated that NGA personnel, as custodians of the National Collection, would require continuous training to remain aligned with international best practices.
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“The Ministry of Arts, Culture, Tourism, and the Creative Economy is more or less a new ministry, but the creative industry and creative economy have been blossoming,” he said.
“It has had so much success, with very little interaction with the government. So, as a government, we have to look at ourselves, and see how we can come up and not take control. But see how we can partner with the private sector, and the creatives that have built this undeniable industry to where it is today.”
Sodangi noted that due to the absence of a national gallery building, the National Collection is currently stored in various locations across the country.
“These artworks are meant to be displayed, and are meant to be seen by the general public,” he said.
“To give spotlight to the National Collection, we’ve looked at the number of artworks we have, and the works that need serious and urgent attention, and what to do. And the only way we do that is to catalogue, have a digital database of the National Collection; that will be a starting point of what we hope to achieve.”
According to the director-general, the ongoing National Art Renaissance programme will facilitate the proper cataloguing, restoration, and valuation of the collection.
He disclosed that the NGA is collaborating with Goethe-Institut Nigeria and the Museum of West African Art (MOWAA) to assess, digitally document, and carry out conservation work on the artworks.
Dr Nadine Siegert, Director of Goethe-Institut Nigeria, highlighted the significance of the collection, noting that it contains hundreds of masterpieces that deserve global visibility.
“I think we have already inventoried about 900 or so works. We have photographed about, I think, 400 works,” she said, expressing satisfaction with the collaboration and the progress being made.
Siegert also revealed that two artworks are currently undergoing professional restoration and would be ready for exhibition locally and internationally by July.
Similarly, Yetunde Odediran, Associate Conservator at MOWAA, said the museum’s priority is to stabilise the artworks to make them exhibition-ready.
She noted that MOWAA would also offer training sessions to NGA staff to equip them with the necessary skills for handling artworks safely, especially when moving them between locations.
“So, we share that knowledge, making sure that they have the right tools, the appropriate procedures, so that they’re able to carry out the project successfully,” she said.
