No one will help Africans but themselves to make a name in the world, Nike Davies-Okundaye has said
Africans need to stop chasing foreign lifestyles and instead focus on their own creativity and heritage, Nike Davies-Okundaye, a renowned Nigerian textile designer and the founder of the biggest art gallery in Africa, told RT in an exclusive interview released on Monday. The people of Africa need to see just how rich their homelands are and take pride in it, she added.
Davies-Okundaye founded the Nike Art Centre, Lagos, a massive gallery housing thousands of various pieces of art and offering visitors a glimpse at all cultures of Nigeria. The gallery has branches in the Nigerian towns of Abuja, Oshogbo and Ogidi. The textile designer is also known for her art education efforts and philanthropy. She is said to have taught thousands of local artists and funded the development of local workshops and businesses in various regions of the country.
“I always wanted people to see that our culture and our heritage is our pride,” Davies-Okundaye said, adding that people often “do not know what we have [in our country].” Some youths do not even speak their native tongues, she added.
The society should educate the younger generations about the importance of their native language and culture, Davies-Okundaye, adding that the appeal of one’s heritage might eventually catch up with a person no matter how far from home they traveled.
According to Davies-Okundaye, even some African Americans are now traveling back to Africa to find out more about their heritage. “They are tracing their roots to Ghana or Liberia. Our roots should not die off,” she said.
“Why not promote your own? Instead, we are promoting foreign [culture],” the textile designer said. Going back to its roots in the best way for Africa to make a name for itself on the international arena when it comes to culture, she maintained.
“When we do not help ourselves, no one is going to help us, no one is going to promote us,” Davies-Okundaye warned. African culture should also become more prominent in the media and find new ways to present itself to the world, the designer said.
“We need more media to showcase the creativity of Nigeria, to help us, to showcase our work, to show people what we are doing in our own country,” the Nike gallery founder said, thanking RT for “a chance to showcase our own creativity.”
The art gallery founder also called on the youths to stop just chasing money and follow their hearts instead. “Whatever you know you’re good at, do it well. Do not let anybody say: ‘this cannot bring you money’. Do not do it because of money, do it because it makes you happy,” she said.
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