Abuja’s Arts and Crafts Village: Abandoned by its own, patronised by foreigners
Arts and Crafts Village lies at the heart of the city, flanked on either sides by magnificent monuments, Shehu Musa Yar’adua Centre on the right and Silverbird Entertainment Centre on the left. Just opposite the village is Sheraton Hotels and Towers. But in spite of nestling around entertainment hubs, artists complain of low patronage. When […]
Arts and Crafts Village lies at the heart of the city, flanked on either sides by magnificent monuments, Shehu Musa Yar’adua Centre on the right and Silverbird Entertainment Centre on the left. Just opposite the village is Sheraton Hotels and Towers. But in spite of nestling around entertainment hubs, artists complain of low patronage. When our reporters went to the village recently, it was quiet. Artists and craftsmen lull at the doors of their shops expecting customers. Some few expatriates were seen moving around shops appreciating and buying artworks. The chattering birds and the luxuriant trees and grasses surrounding the round thatched huts created a serene atmosphere but the environment has done little to ease the frustrations artists and craftsmen, and traders in this village feel.
For Auwal Ibrahim, a craftsman who specialises in beads and leather works, “it has become a thing of worry to us. These products are made locally here in Nigeria and we are proud of them. But our basic problem is the lack of patronage by Nigerians because if you have customers in a day, nine out of the 10 are foreigners. Maybe Nigerians feel these things are produced locally here by their people and as such they don’t get fascinated by the products. As you can see for yourself most of our customers are foreigners.
“The only time you see Nigerians buying from us are mostly during national events where there is need to showcase the Nigerian culture, they buy our paintings, beads, leather work etc. Whoever leaves home, home will surely leave that person because no matter how the foreigners appreciate our work, it will not give us joy like when our own people appreciate our work. In my opinion I think the foreigners appreciate these works because it is a thing of surprise to them. In their countries they use machines to make such things but here they are done with hands so they buy and take it to their country to show their people. I can remember a white man who came here once told me that they buy these things and then open mini museums in their country because some people have never seen such things in their lives before and they begin to wonder how people make these things with their bare hands and they also make money through the museums.”
He emphasised that foreigners buy the arts works and crafts and take them to their countries as gifts because “these are the things that their people are really going to appreciate because anything apart from these local products are virtually from their countries.”
He argued that the low patronage they get from Nigerians is not because of poverty or because the works are too expensive. “No matter how poor we are in Nigeria, we cannot because of hunger appreciate our art works. In my opinion, because I have been in this trade for about twenty years, Nigerians don’t buy from us because an average Nigerian wants to look flamboyant in glittery wares. Even in ceremonies, they always want to see who is wearing gold, silver, diamond etc. So if a lady wears these beads to an occasion she will be seen as a village person or somebody that is not civilised.
“And on the issue of price, our products are not expensive. You can buy a product of N100,N200. So, you see poverty is not the case, it is an issue of these things are made in my country so if I wear them, I am not going to impress anyone. That is why even the foreigners wear them for their uniqueness,” he said.
Alhaji Ibrahim said that they have done a lot in order to make their businesses prosper. He said right from the level of production, because the works are produced by themselves, their wives and children, they most times buy from them (wives and children) in order to encourage them and keep them busy.
“On the part of the government I think it has a lot to do. We have people from all parts of the country here. We have painters, carvers, those involved in leather works etc. We want the government of this country to make it part of its responsibility to bring their foreign visitors who come to the country for different events and occasions, because we believe they are going to be thrilled when they see these things and we could also earn money because they are going to buy some things. But it is unfortunate that foreigners would come on a state visit and leave without seeing places like these, whereas even in some African countries, when they host visitors they try to create time to show their visitors their cultural heritage and also other places of interest.
According to Kevin Ubani, a painter, government and private companies need to help in promoting arts in Nigeria, just like oil companies are doing in Port Harcourt and Bayelsa, and embassies in Abuja and Lagos. “Government need to set up mega exhibition centres for us because even in 100 years to come, foreigners are still going to come to Nigeria to see our cultural heritage because more and more cultures evolve every day, people are transforming culture into culture and it has to do with art,” he said.
He lamented that few Nigerians buy art works and even when they buy, they don’t appreciate the works. “Art is something that goes with the mind, it illuminates life. But Nigerians see these things and don’t value them because they feel they are produced locally. It is very unfortunate when you see Nigerians travel abroad to buy printed art, not even original art. We don’t believe in buying our art works with a lot of money but we spend millions on automobiles without impressing it on our minds that automobiles lose value as soon as we buy them but art works never loses value. You can buy a piece of art work for your house and when you bring it out after twenty years to sell you are going to make profit. Nigerians really need orientation about art,” he said.
He said that poverty is not even the problem, it is a problem of orientation. “The white man sees art as a necessity, even when moving into a new house he feels it is proper to have an art work in the house because it warms up the world and it also beautifies a place but an average Nigerian will only think of buying expensive electronics.
Idera Muhammed, a tailor that creates African styles for customers, she said most of her customers are foreigners. “Nigerians don’t like coming here but the foreigners always come here. They buy wrappers and ask us to sew for them. If 100 customers come in a day 80 out of the 100 are foreigners.”
For Obi Prosper, a trader in Benin bronze works, carvings and Kenyan art works, “Nigerians don’t come here. The only black person that came here today only came to ask whether what we are selling is ‘’juju’’. Even if you give a Nigerian one of these things as gift the person will not appreciate it.”