Ecobank Nigeria has reaffirmed its support for Africa’s creative sector through “The Convergence,” an exhibition bringing together artists, architects and cultural practitioners to explore Nigerian heritage, creativity and contemporary design.
The exhibition, organised in partnership with AD Consulting, opened in Lagos as part of an initiative designed to create greater visibility for African creative talent and encourage conversations around culture, architecture, art and legacy.
Speaking at the opening, Austen Osokpor, Head of Marketing and Corporate Communications at Ecobank Nigeria, said the bank viewed Africa’s wealth as extending beyond financial capital to include culture, creativity, intellectual capital and heritage.
Osokpor said Ecobank was prepared to support talents across different creative fields, including visual arts, photography and music, adding that greater visibility for African creative work was important to telling the continent’s story.
He said the partnership with AD Consulting was intended to use art and architecture to present different dimensions of the African experience while creating opportunities for creative works to reach wider audiences.
The exhibition is being held at the Ecobank Pan African Centre in Victoria Island, Lagos, with the wider public exhibition running from Oct. 2 to Oct. 7. The programme follows an opening event for invited collectors and patrons.
Olajumoke Adenowo, architect and founder of AD Consulting, said the exhibition was inspired by her NeoHeritage philosophy, which seeks to connect African cultural heritage with contemporary creative expression.
Adenowo said architecture and art share the ability to combine functionality, aesthetics and emotional expression, adding that African heritage could provide ideas and approaches for addressing contemporary challenges in areas including design, sustainability and urban development.
The exhibition features works by several Nigerian and African artists, including Abiodun Olaku, Bunmi Babatunde, Kehinde Adewuyi, Tayo Quaye, Mufu Onifade, Alex Nwokolo, Fidelis Odogwu, Kassi Nathalie, Dotun Popoola, Steve Ekpenisi, Collins Abinoro and Joshua Nmesirionye.
Photographer Emmanuel Oyeleke said the project provided an opportunity to document Nigerian architecture and communicate the ideas underpinning the NeoHeritage movement. He said he spent about a year travelling across Nigeria to photograph architectural works for the exhibition.
The exhibition also explores the relationship between creative expression and cultural preservation. Organisers said the programme is intended not only to display artworks but also to encourage conversations about identity, ownership, heritage and the role of creative ideas in shaping the future.
For Ecobank, the initiative forms part of its broader Pan African approach to supporting activities that promote African culture and creative enterprise. The bank said platforms such as The Convergence can help connect artists, architects, collectors, patrons and wider audiences.
The creative economy provides livelihoods for artists and other cultural professionals while also contributing to cultural preservation, tourism and international visibility. Greater access to platforms, investment and audiences remains important for creative practitioners seeking to develop sustainable careers and businesses.
“The Convergence” therefore combines an exhibition of creative works with a wider conversation about how African heritage can inform contemporary art, architecture and cultural development.
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