He was a prolific and avid collector of artworks at a very tender age too. At the age of nine, I was exposed to all manner of artworks. At that tender age, I had developed interest in traditional art forms which include painting, sculpture, bronze, wood etc. My parents noticed that tendency in me, because I could stand starring at a piece of art work as if I was watching a football match. That was about 30 years ago when I fell in love with works of art. I was fascinated by these beautiful pieces of work that don’t talk or move but I appreciate everything. That background made me passionate about collecting and preserving both ancient and modern arts.
I have been going around the world to attend exhibitions in African arts in Europe , America and some African countries as well. Which works of art make you happy? I like African artworks , especially Yoruba works of art with emphasis on the ancient ones. Ancient artworks are not only for decoration, they also bear messages to the people . Most traditionalists, especially those from Osogbo, know what messages these artworks are bearing. I also like Igbo-Ukwu bronze artwork because nobody can say he knows when it was discovered . Nobody can claim to have seen the casters, how it was made, the materials, or where they got it from because it was discovered and the mystery of that work made me develop interest in the Igbo-Ukwu bronze. Nigerian artworks are the most recognized in Africa, because we have so many traditions and cultures. Do you also manufacture artworks as a trustee of Aguene Art Foundation? No, I collect, I preserve and I do some commission works whereby I employ some artists. Most of the works are results of my creativity which I have to guide carefully . I tell the casters how I want it to be. You can design your furniture , that does not make you a carpenter but you can design your inspiration on them and the design comes out the way you want it. I so much appreciate our culture. Christianity has so much suppressed our culture and traditions. That is why most people don’t know the value of artworks. For instance, my garments and even the bed I sleep on are works of art. My bed sheet is designed in tiger motifs. I promote arts by organizing exhibitions for artists. I buy from artists in villages sometimes too. At this point, I feel so good . People recognize and recommend me for awards based on what they have seen me do. I have won awards from Japan, Sydney, Australia, United States and Europe after my exhibitions. So,what business do you do apart from collecting and designing artworks ? I am also into real estate. I build and sell property and I have commercial real estate in the Lekki axis of Lagos. I also buy and sell land. That is what sustains me.
I don’t sell artworks, I collect and preserve them. I started my real estate business in 1995. Initially it wasn’t quite profitable. The profit then was about N100,000 or N200,000 on any deal. People are now cognizant about properties as a means of making a living. I have two hotels which I named Good Sleep Hotel and Pilot Hotel at Lekki. How did you feel when you earned your first million in the business ? I felt like I was in heaven. Then, I sold a property in Ajah area of Lagos, four plots of land precisely. I was very excited and thankful to God. I hosted a party that day to celebrate , because that business is tough. What’s your advice for those who want to go into real estate business? There’s no business like real estate business. You conveniently stand tall with a lot of prospects. You are sure of training your children . If you don’t feel like using the property then you sell, move to a cheaper location with the proceeds and there’s enough money to sustain yourself, but real estate business today requires huge capital. For those who are financially handicapped , they could start as agents and from there they move on. What’s the outlook for Nigerian arts in the next ten years? Once the collector knows what arts entails, the sky is the limit. You can make as much money from arts as in the oil business. All you need is to open a workshop of 50 to 100 acres and hold exhibitions. In Mombasa, Kenya, they live on artworks. We have land ,wood and metals. When people are casting, people are filling and there are people polishing the works, so you have created work for millions of people. People go to the bush and get the wood, bring it to artist to carve, somebody will now do the sand papering and another person will now do the colouring to make it perfect. Some people also do scrapping to make it smooth. State governments should engage experts who know the nitty-gritty of art to man the affairs of culture. Having a Masters or Phd in arts is not what we are saying but custodians of so many artworks who can give you raw information about artwork, about culture, who can tell you the implications of the artwork. There are readers of artworks, like the obas, chiefs, and other custodians of culture like the Obi of Onitsha, who is an art collector and preserver. The Obi has promoted so many artists. Also, Yemi Shyllon has promoted arts both internationally and locally as well as Femi Adesanya. To further create awareness about art, few months ago I visited governors and stakeholders in arts and culture and donated an artwork worth over a million naira to one of the governors. What challenges do you encounter as an art collector? People who know about art are very few. In the past, we didn’t relate messages on radio or television to people, but through artworks. They saw artworks as oracles. To be a lover of artworks you must attain a higher level of inner exposure and development. Some people are more interested in what they can show-off and they buy the most expensive cars. I have some artworks which if I sell will buy me one of the best cars around today. Nobody can easily assess artwork. You go to a bank to obtain a loan using artwork as your collateral and they will tell you they cannot assess the value of the artwork. But if I have a car or house now, they can easily value the car or house based on the facility you want from them. We don’t have people that are interested in artwork . When we set up a ministry that deals with arts, let us go to schools and look for pupils that have talents in this area. Until we set up this ministry, we won’t be able to assess artwork. Which of the Igbo socio-cultural associations do you belong? There are so many associations but I belong to the Ohaneze Ndigbo which is the umbrella of the Ibos. I am also a member of Ndi Igbo Lagos, and Aka Ikenga.
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