How 3,000 Nigerian S*x Workers In Italy Became Artists – Nike Art Gallery

Published

2 years ago

April 28, 2023

The Founder, Nike Art Gallery, Mrs Nike Okundaye, popularly known as “Mama Nike”, said she changed the narratives of 5,000 Nigerian professional s*x workers through artwork training in Italy.

Okundaye disclosed this on Thursday at the “Destination Marketing Strategy in Cultural Tourism“ organised by the National Council for Arts and Culture in Abuja.

She said that she had a passion for training the trainers’ programme because she aimed at using artwork to reduce poverty, unemployment and crimes in society.

“My love is to train and people I trained should train other people. I was in Italy training Nigerian prostitutes, 5, 000 of them. We used artwork to change 3,000 to become artists.

“These paintings you are seeing here are the ones that started in 1995.

“A lot of those prostitutes are now engaged and they are no more prostitutes.

“I was born into art, I am a fifth generation artists from my family and the way they passed education to the kids in those days, you teach your child what you do.

“When I completed Primary Six and I did not have money to attend secondary school, the weaving of “adire“ and the painting that I learnt from my father and mother are what I am doing today.

“I started this because of poverty but from poverty, I was able to become an icon in the society,” she said.

Okundaye urged the youth to practise what they learnt from their parents and upgrade it in a creative manner.

“The message I have for the youth is that if your parents used akara money to train you, you have to upgrade that akara to burger.

“Upgrade and follow your heart and do things you have learnt from your parents. Do them and create them in a good way and always think positive,” she said.

Okundaye said since she opened the Nike Art Gallery in Abuja, youths have been coming over for training.

“I have had a training centre here since 1996. I have over 2,000 artworks in this edifice.

“I have a lot of artists that I trained. When I trained them, they trained others and they bring their works and if we sell them, they give us 10 per cent of the total cost,” she said.

In his remarks, the Director-General of NCAC, Otunba Olusegun Runsewe, said he supported Nike Art Gallery to make it a destination market for Nigeria.

Runsewe described the arts and culture sector as public-private driven.

He said if Nike Art Gallery was given necessary support it would go a long way in reducing unemployment and crimes in the country.

“In most cases, we make mistakes in Africa for not recognising our own, not believing in our own and not developing our own.

“If the private sector or an individual can put up this type of gallery, what we need as the government is to support.

“This can generate a lot of resources for the country. If you travel to other parts of the world, they have galleries like this that you will pay to visit.

“One of the fundamental aspects of tourism is experience. Some people have never seen this number of paintings and fabric designs,” he said.

He recalled that three weeks ago when an ambassador saw Fela’s painting, he felt like removing his dress.

“This is because he is one of the big fans of Fela. He continued taking pictures with Fela’s artwork.

“These paintings you see are therapy on their own. Some people when they are sick or down, this is what they use to come up with.

“We need to use what we have now to develop and promote our country. There are so many artworks here that can speak for Nigeria.

“For me, we will support Nike Arts Gallery and make it a destination in order to market the country,” he said.

(NAN)

Shock As Adeleke Employs Roadside puff-puff Hawker As Govt House Chef

Published

2 hours ago

August 30, 2025

Editor

Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, on Thursday shocked a female puff-puff seller during a rally in Osogbo by buying all her snacks with ₦50,000 and offering her employment as a chef at the Government House.

This happened when Osun public servants trooped out in their thousands in what they called an appreciation solidarity rally in support of the governor for his support and care since he took over state governance.

It was observed that the governor, who sat in the bus, had sighted the woman who was among the crowd cheering him.

He immediately beckoned to the woman carrying a plastic container filled with puff-puff on her head and asked how much it would cost to buy all the snacks.

The female hawker, who was visibly surprised and star-struck at the level of her proximity to the governor, found it difficult to even tell the governor how much she sold the snacks.

Surprisingly, Adeleke handed her a bundle of ₦50,000 to the cheers of the crowd.

The lucky woman knelt down in appreciation of the governor’s generosity.

Excited onlookers quickly rushed to share the snacks in the plastic already purchased by the governor.

The governor invited the vendor inside the vehicle where one of his officials questioned her academic background, and she revealed that she holds a Nigerian Certificate in Education.

Adeleke further asked about the dishes she could prepare and instructed his aides to take her contact details for employment as a chef in the Government House.

Confirming the development, the Commissioner II at the Osun State Civil Service Commission, Olaniyan Taofeek, shared the video on X (formerly Twitter), writing: “The moment Gov. Adeleke turned the life of a puff-puff seller into a Government House chef.”

A Special Assistant to the Governor on Digital Media, Oni Gbenga Lawrence, also corroborated the incident in a post on X, stating: “Moment Governor Ademola Adeleke turned the life of a puff-puff seller to Government Chef… not only ₦50k but he invited her into his car and employed her as chef in the Government House.”

The Guardian correspondent, who was at the scene of the welcome rally, made efforts to interview the lucky vendor, but they did not yield as she was not allowed to alight from the bus throughout the event.
(The Guardian)

News

Katsina Govt Revokes Licenses Of All Private, Community Schools

Published

2 hours ago

August 30, 2025

Editor

The Katsina State Government has withdrawn the operating licenses of all private and community schools in the state, with effect from August 13, 2025.

The announcement came through a circular issued by the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education and signed by Commissioner Hajiya Zainab Musa-Musawa.

The ministry’s Public Relations Officer, Malam Sani Danjuma, released the document in Katsina on Saturday.

According to the circular, the move is part of the government’s effort to strengthen quality assurance and standardization within the education sector.

“The withdrawal of licenses is aimed at ensuring that schools operate in line with approved standards and provide quality education to students,” Danjuma said.

The circular also outlined a review of fees for license application, registration, and annual renewal.

“Owners of affected schools are required to obtain fresh licenses by submitting proof of payment to the ministry on or before September 30, 2025.”

The statement also added that school operators have been warned not to increase tuition or other charges without government approval.

The ministry further promised to issue additional guidelines soon, including categorization of schools and the revised fee structure.

News

JUST IN: Oldest Missionary To Nigeria, Ruth Elton, Is Dead

Published

4 hours ago

August 30, 2025

Editor

British-born Nigerian missionary, Ruth Elton, reputed to be the oldest missionary has passed on at the age of 91.

Ruth Elton, born 7 September 1933, was a British-born Nigerian missionary whose lifelong dedication to faith, healing, and revival left an indelible mark on communities across western and central Nigeria.

It was learnt that Elton died on Saturday at Sharon compound, Alafia Bamin Quarters in Ilesa, Osun State.

She was the only daughter of Pa Elton and her remains have been deposited at the mortuary.

Ruth Elton, daughter of Sydney Granville Elton (Pa Elton), who is referred to as one of the founding fathers of Pentecostalism in Nigeria, had approached a Kaduna court and nationalised as a Nigerian.

At old age and despite the happenings in Nigeria, she still held in high esteem her father’s prophecies that although Nigeria could be known globally for corruption, it would only for a while as new dawn would beckon when the country would be known worldwide for righteousness and prosperity.

Elton moved to Nigeria in 1937 with her parents and served as a Christian missionary across Egbe, Okene, Koton Karfe, and other parts of Kogi, Ondo, Oyo, and Osun States.

A naturalised Nigerian, having renounced her British citizenship in the 1970s, she embraced the country completely and became fluent in Ebira and Yoruba.

Elton, who remained single, believed that she had made a true mark in the country and apart from her missionary work, she saw her efforts in taming infant mortality, especially in Okene, Kogi State as a generational impact.

Relating her experience on infant mortality in the country, Elton recently noted that many newborn babies had passed on due to lack of proper care and hygiene, adding that the practice of force-feeding babies contributed to the challenges, especially in the face of poor awareness.