Benin princess and matriarch of the humanities Prof Peju Layiwola is 50. To have time the milestone and the 13th anniversary of her charity, WYArt, the professor of Work Historic earlier and a longtime artist held a workshop and exhibition to empower ladies. She furthermore organised a feast, which drew notable personalities all through the humanities, together with the Cultural Attaché United States Consulate, Kelvin Krapt, tales EVELYN OSAGIE.
Like an earlier wine getting stronger with age, Adepeju Layiwola is 50. The artistic neighborhood purchased proper right here out of their numbers to have time the woman, who other than being an work scholar for over 20 years, has helped to take the “robe to metropolis” by the use of her work charity, WYArt, and vocational instructing DVDs which have empowered tons of, considerably ladies, together with the youth and youngsters.
Layiwola is a professor of Work Historic earlier, Head of Division of Creative Arts on the College of Lagos (UNILAG) and a longtime artist with over 20 years of expertise and observe. From wealthy lineage of work, Layiwola, who's married to former Director, Institute of Cultural Evaluation, College of Ibadan, Prof Dele Layiwola, is the daughter of enterprise mogul Babatunde Olowu and Princess Elizabeth (daughter of Oba Akenzua II, and the primary feminine bronze caster in Nigeria).
At 50, the highlight was on her contributions to the event of the humanities being an work coach/scholar and her involvement collectively alongside along with her work empowerment by the use of her charity. To commemorate her 50th birthday and the 13th anniversary of her charity, she held bash, which was attended by notable personalities in Nigeria’s work scene, earlier and current members of her work workshops, buddies, household and the media.
Some described her as “unbelievable” and “unimaginable”. Others commonly known as her an unbelievable girl. However to her hubby, Dele, “she is a wonderful companion and philanthropist extraordinaire”. Her 50th celebration, he well-known, was notable due to it was marked with “giving as soon as extra to the society and fulfilling their destinies correct proper right here”.
Her pleasure, he mentioned, is for the neighborhood, the most effective beneficiary of her gesture, considerably the secondary college pupils. “I've adopted them to these secondary colleges, I noticed the way in which through which by which the children’s eyes lit up every time they're to unveil the artworks carried out. Ours is a sacred calling that cope with reality and sincere work. It's a good problem to companion individuals who aspire and I like her aspirations. I'm terribly glad and glad alongside along with her. I'll proceed to help her to work and enhance on these initiatives so that it'll impression not solely her personal colleagues and society, nonetheless completely completely different youthful folks to allow them to furthermore do the an equivalent when their flip comes,”he mentioned.
With the Cultural Attaché of america Consulate, Kelvin Krapt as specific buyer, the work fete started with speeches and ended with an exhibition, that options works of members on the just-concluded WYArt workshop to mark its anniversary. The occasion, which occurred on the centre, was chaired by Prof Bruce Onobrakpeya, who merely acquired a Nationwide Profit Award from the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
To Prof Onobrakpeya, Nigeria goes by the use of a kind of renaissance with ladies like Layiwola on the most effective of it. He mentioned they're instrumental to the event of Nigeria’s arts teaching and customized, urging school college students and the federal authorities to not go away work teaching to the universities alone, nonetheless attain out to the grassroots merely as Layiwola had carried out. He well-known that there are many talents that are unable to go to secondary college or college, nonetheless who by the use of workshops are able to test and get empowered for all cases”.
Whereas recounting Layiwola’s contribution to his Hamattan workshop, he mentioned: “Going as soon as extra 20 years, after we had been about to begin I used to be very nervous. I drove to a yard and requested her to return assist me begin the workshop and he or she didn't refuse. The workshop, which is probably 30 years subsequent month, has since grown, and we're very grateful for her help. It's praiseworthy that she combines instructing all through the educational with that of the casual tutorial sector; and has even launched specialists to this nation to show them. It's unhappy that universities and schools don’t have enough specialists to go spherical. However on account of her ardour for the humanities and information, she has launched folks from inside and outdoor to assist the instructing all through the college,”Prof Onobrakpeya mentioned.
In attendance had been former Deputy Vice Chancellor of UNILAG, Prof Duro Oni; the Dean College of Arts, UNILAG, Prof Falani; Dean, of YABATECH College of Arts, Dr Kunle Adeyemi; Head of Olowu household clan, Adedapo Tunde Olowu, a lawyer; former Central Financial institution of Nigeria (CBN) Deputy Governor, Victor Odozi and his companion, who's an artist and founder GreenHouse Work Empowerment Centre (GHAEC), Princess Tessy; former president, Society of Nigerian Artists (SNA), Kolade Oshinowo; Director Hamattan Workshop, Sam Ovraiti and Otunba Tunde Sotimirin (who compèred on the occasion).
Whereas commending her contributions all through the instructing of tons of of youthful and former, who're actually skilled artists and enterprise women and men, mates furthermore dubbed her “a matriarch of the humanities”.
Fifty-eight-year-old Mrs Victoria Oluwaseun Aina, a retiree, was thought of one in all many beneficiaries. After working for 35 years and retiring on the Centre for Black Work and African Arts Civilisation (CBAAC) as Assistant Director, Mrs Aina mentioned: “It’s in no way too late to test,” lamenting that her pension is usually not enough to meet her needs. “Although, I retired as an skilled Libarian, I don’t wish to be idle. Now with this instructing, I can do some work on tie and dye, make ends meet financially after retirement and under no circumstances merely rely solely on my pension. Though I've an concept of it, due to my late mum did the eleko, needle work and fancy designs on mattress sheets and pillows, I couldn't proceed on account of inadequate information. The workshop put me by the use of, together with work. And the attention-grabbing problem is that the purposes had been with out spending a dime,” she mentioned. Forty-nine others had been educated with Mrs Aina on the workshop.
“Work empowerment paying homage to what WYArt is doing holds the reply for poverty and unemployment,” noticed Mr Krapt. Though, he mentioned has not been in Nigeria for extended and has merely met the founder, whose set off he described as worthy, which the US Consulate is proud to be concerned in. “The fact that she's going to have the flexibility to fulfill, carry collectively, put collectively and empower folks in her neighborhood economically is the sort of problem we help and are proud to be supporting. Personally, it's a sort of mission that I like: one which makes use of the humanities and belongings available on the market for financial and human developments. I such as you, Peju,” he mentioned.
Dr Adeyemi desacribed her as “an enigma in seen arts”, observing that lecturers and artists should borrow a leaf from her means to carry her experience to the grassroots, together with the universities, instructing the untrained and the professionals. “After 13 years and attaining 50 years collectively alongside along with her professorship and observe, she is certainly not a fluke. I congratulate her,” she mentioned.
Whereas stating that his sister’s voyage into the humanities began from their childhood, her brother, Olowu, recounted: “Peju is my father’s eldest daughter of eight youngsters and we're merely two years aside. One spectacular thging is that appropriate from predominant college she has confirmed a really eager curiosity all through the humanities that she carried from predominant college as loads as college. Genuinely, we used to name her the clever one, what she is doing in the mean time shouldn't be one issue we didn’t anticipate.
“Our mom, Mama Ayo, taught arts all her life: and all of us in numerous varieties are into the humanities. We're eight youngsters all through the household: I paint, nonetheless Peju was the one who adopted it by the use of, she frolicked studying the piano appropriate from after we had been small, even when she was all through the varsity.
“Famend artist, the late Prof Wangboje used one among her work for the quilt of his textual content material materials e e ebook, so that you just presumably can see she has this in her for a very very very long time. We're very glad as a household that she grew to alter right into a professor and that she furthermore clocked 50. We pray WYArt basis might have time many extra years and Peju will make an impression on this neighborhood and after in the mean time I've made up my concepts to play an vigorous function.”
Completely completely different mates included cartoonist and visible lecturer on the Division of Creative Arts, Dr Jimga Ganiyu; seen work lecturer and artist, Pastor Bolaji Ogunwo; Secretary, Feminine Artist Affiliation of Nigeria (FEAAN), Southwest Zone, Clara Aden (who can even be a participant); the short earlier Chairman of Lagos Nationwide Affiliation of Nigerian Theatre Arts Practitioners (NANTAP), Mrs Ehi; lecturer all through the Division of Creative Arts, Mrs Adebayo Titilayo; artist Mr. Tunde Olanipekun; Layiwola’s classmate at Federal Authorities Ladies School (FGGC Benin), Mrs Alaka; former HOD Dept. of Historic earlier and Strategic Evaluation, UNILAG, Prof Bola Lawal, and Mr. Ben Obute.
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