Manny Ita
The Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, in collaboration with Dr. Folashade Tinubu-Ojo, the Iyaloja-General of Nigeria, has officially announced the establishment of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Centre for Arts and Vocations (BATCAV). The plans were unveiled during a news conference in Lagos on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, where the organizers detailed a landmark fundraising art exhibition scheduled to take place on February 5 at the Muson Centre in Victoria Island. Curated by Artifact Galleries, the exhibition serves as the primary vehicle to generate the resources necessary to build what organizers describe as a “transformative national institution” aimed at bridging the gap between artistic talent and enterprise.
BATCAV is designed to function as a living archive and a vocational hub, with the ambitious goal of training over 100,000 Nigerians in various arts, crafts, and technical vocational skills. The facility’s physical archive intends to house 5,000 artworks sourced from artists across all 36 states of the Federation, ensuring a diverse representation of Nigeria’s cultural heritage. Additionally, the center will feature a dedicated gallery containing 1,000 hyper-realistic portrait paintings of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, documenting his political trajectory from his time as a Senator to the Presidency. Dr. Folashade Tinubu-Ojo, acting as the Grand Host, emphasized the project’s long-term vision, stating, “This is not merely an art event, but a collective commitment to legacy, opportunity, and the preservation of our cultural memory.”
The initiative has garnered support from various political and cultural stakeholders, with Speaker Obasa noting that the center will further position Nigeria as a leader in Africa’s creative economy. The upcoming fundraising event will feature the unveiling of hyper-realistic portraits of not only the President but also state governors, the Minister of the FCT, selected members of the National Assembly, and prominent traditional rulers such as the Ooni of Ife. Organizers have extended a call to corporate organizations and philanthropists to support the establishment of the center, which they believe will serve as a “launch pad for the future of African creativity” and a critical infrastructure for youth empowerment.
