Personality in Focus
How Title Deed is Responding to Stolen African Art
By Jane Efagwu Photos: Olaseni Okedairo
It is no longer a secret. 2020 has proven to be the year of something bigger than anything else: The black revolution. Africans everywhere are taking a stand against systemic oppression, discrimination and objectification of the African culture and her people. While this major cultural reset now dominates public spheres and has initiated major social discourse everywhere around the world, it is important to look back at where it all started. Africa. Before the now popular violence and commodification of Africans themselves, there was the very unpopular violence and commodification of African art.
Stolen. Shipped. Sold. Copied. Displayed. And now, owned by major museums around the world, the journey to the world stage for African art has been a painful one. However, if it’s one thing about art, it’s that it will always turn pain to power. This power is what Title Deed, a collective of seven young Nigerian contemporary artists-Wasiu Eshinlokun, Maureen Uzoh, Ken Nwadiogbu, Lekan Abatan, Emma Odumade, Margaret Otoikhine and Yussuff Aina have employed in correcting the narrative and telling their own stories through their own art and in their own spaces.
Re: Mediation. An exhibition which was held at the African Artists’ Foundation (AAF) at Victoria Island, Lagos featuring works that boundlessly explore the theme of restitution. In these works, these artists demonstrate the importance of understanding the past and appreciating the present as a means of predicting and owning the future.
Eshinlokun’s display features masking tapes dangling in an unending W motion, flooding the ceiling and connecting to the three art pieces on the wall which are also connected to themselves and each other. The artist goes a step further to pull the art out of the frame by featuring a live remake in a painted and taped human form. This one step produces several painted and muddled footsteps and the artist explains that this represents the movements of Africans and their culture such that we no longer know where it starts or where it stops. Wasiu also explains that the tape represents bondage as well as continuity of life for Africans, African art and of course, African artists.
For Ken Nwadiogbu the renowned hyperrealist, the eyes will always have it. This is how he represents consciousness in an unconscious world. He depicts the sale and commodification of consciousness by putting eyes on a coin. Nwadiogbu’s clever irony stings again when he puts open eyes on bodies and cages them with something made to cool us down – a fan.
To execute the theme, Maureen Uzoh employs a brilliant fuse of new media and old culture. Her works also feature heavy themes of sisterhood, African feminity and family. In one frame, Uzoh attempts to ridicule the idea of the West renting, selling or discounting African art to its rightful owners despite being aware and even wearing the countless headlines of stolen African art being reported in the media.
Abatan’s Our Ancestors Wear Prada shows the aftermath of a cross-fire meeting between Africans, their art and the West thus birthing popular phrases like ‘African American’. His works feature portraits of historical Benin, Ife and Nok art pieces dressed up in Calvin Klein, Adidas and Lacoste with African fabrics as the background. The mix up is almost comical yet thought provoking.
Restitution is literal for Yussuff Aina as he presents three dimensional versions of a recreation of Eniyan, his signature mask style. Eniyan, meaning person in Yoruba, takes on the form of newly excavated art pieces whose facial/body features have been damaged due to the gruesome unearthing process. One piece features Eniyan with palms pressed together and a marked cross on one palm. He explains that this is a way of using Western religion to beg/pray that the Westerners return the stolen pieces back to Africa.
Choosing a dramatic yet creative approach to the topic, Margaret Otoikhine casts African art and its stories in movie posters that attract you with their colors and captivate you with their details. The only photographer in the group, her use of black and white imagery on one of her pieces, Queen Idia, sees the filmmaker and photographer attempt to tell the Queen’s actual story before the tragedy. It is Margaret’s way of telling her own story as an Edo born Nigerian. She explains that the poster was actually for a short film that was supposed to be shot but was put on hold because of the pandemic.
What better way to change the narrative than to educate? But how do you educate people on what they can’t even see or understand despite how much it affects them today? Emma Odumade captures this glitch in the system by depicting the after effects of the looting on education and African children, who he says he used to represent dreams. His works are set against the heavy backdrop of the past while projecting the uncertainty of the future especially for the younger, upcoming generation.
The ‘Re: Mediation’ exhibition is a very refreshing take on the conversation surrounding African art and it’s movements because it offers a contemporary yet genuine view on the topic. The works serve as an intermediary between a distant past and an uncertain yet inspiring future. ‘Re: Mediation’ commenced on the 26th of September, 2020 and showed at the African Artists’ Foundation until the 12th of October, 2020.
By NOMA
The Nigerian Online Media Alliance (NOMA) has celebrated Mr. Olakunle Aderinokun on his 55th birthday, describing him as a distinguished strategic communications expert and media professional whose nearly three-decade career continues to shape Nigeria’s communications and business landscape.
In a statement by Theresa Moses, Chairperson, NOMA highlighted Aderinokun’s current role as Head, Media and Public Relations at Access Holdings Plc, where he leads group-wide media strategy, executive communications, crisis management, and corporate reputation positioning across local and international markets.
The Alliance noted that his ability to align corporate narratives with business strategy, stakeholder expectations, and regulatory realities has strengthened institutional credibility and public trust.
Aderinokun’s career reflects a unique blend of journalism, financial services, and corporate leadership. He spent 24 years at THISDAY Newspapers, rising to the position of Group Business Editor and Associate Editor, where he played a significant role in shaping Nigeria’s business journalism ecosystem. He later served as Editor, Business at ARISE News Channel, further consolidating his reputation for editorial excellence and impactful storytelling.
Throughout his journalism career, he covered critical sectors including banking, capital markets, energy, aviation, and macroeconomics, engaging directly with top policymakers, regulators, and corporate leaders. His extensive international exposure includes participation in global platforms such as the IMF-World Bank Meetings, African Development Bank Meetings, TICAD in Japan, the Nigeria-China Business Forum, Africa Oil Week in Cape Town, and Vaasa Energy Week in Finland.
Beyond journalism, Aderinokun brings strong financial and investment expertise, having worked with United Bank for Africa (UBA) and Wall Street Trust Company (now WSTC Financial Services), where he handled equity analysis, market research, and investment advisory. This foundation, NOMA noted, has enabled him to effectively bridge financial performance with strategic communication outcomes.
An entrepreneur, he founded Pure Synergy Ltd in 2013, a firm focused on reputation management and strategic communications, and later served as CEO of Excite Enterprise Ltd, an online business solutions platform.
In the public sector space, Aderinokun served as Media Adviser to Senator Tokunbo Abiru in 2020, where he led media strategy and publicity for the Lagos East Senatorial campaign, contributing to its successful outcome.
Academically, he holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics (Pure and Applied) from the University of Ilorin and an MBA from the University of Lagos, complemented by executive education at Lagos Business School and professional training with the World Bank Institute, NIPR, and Standard Bank Group, South Africa. He also holds multiple professional certifications across public relations, banking, marketing, and digital communications.
NOMA described him as a quintessential, multifaceted professional whose career embodies excellence, innovation, and leadership.
“Olakunle Aderinokun represents the very best of strategic communication and media practice in Nigeria. His journey is not only inspiring but also instructive for the next generation of professionals navigating the evolving media and corporate landscape,” the statement read.
As he marks his 55th birthday, NOMA commended his enduring contributions and wished him continued success, good health, and greater accomplishments in the years ahead.
The Executive Secretary/CEO of the Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF), Dr. Ayodele Ogunsan, has congratulated the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, on the occasion of his birthday, commending his visionary leadership and reform-driven approach to policing in Nigeria.
In his birthday remarks, Dr. Ogunsan described the IGP as a “distinguished officer whose career has consistently reflected professionalism, courage, and a deep commitment to public safety.”
He noted that since assuming office as the 23rd Inspector-General of Police early this Year 2026, Disu has demonstrated a clear resolve to reposition the Nigeria Police Force towards greater efficiency and public trust.
Dr. Ogunsan particularly praised the IGP’s emphasis on intelligence-led policing, a strategy aimed at enhancing proactive crime detection and prevention, as well as his push for the integration of digital tools and forensic capabilities into police operations. These reforms, he said, signal a shift towards modern, accountable, and citizen-focused policing.
He further highlighted Disu’s decisive steps to strengthen the state policing agenda and officers’ welfare. He praised him for the effective policing model through the restructuring and reduction of tactical units, a move designed to address concerns over excesses while redeploying personnel to police divisions for improved community-level security.
The LSSTF boss also acknowledged the IGP’s consistent advocacy for discipline, integrity, and professionalism within the Force, noting that such values are critical to restoring public confidence and enhancing institutional credibility.
Reflecting on his track record, Dr. Ogunsan recalled Disu’s impactful leadership roles across key commands, including the Rivers State and the Federal Capital Territory Commands, where he contributed significantly to crime control and intelligence-driven operations.
His tenure as the Commander of the Rapid Response Squad in Lagos is a testament to his operational excellence and urban crime management.
Ogunsan wished the IGP good health, wisdom, and continued success in his efforts to build a more secure Nigeria. “On this special occasion, we celebrate not only a remarkable leader but a reformer whose vision continues to inspire confidence in the security architecture of our nation,” Ogunsan said.
Terrorists in northeast Nigeria killed a brigadier general in an assault on a military base, a local government chairman told AFP on Thursday, the second killing of a high-ranking officer in five months.
Africa’s most populous country has been fighting a terrorist insurgency for 17 years, since Boko Haram’s 2009 uprising, which has seen the emergence of powerful splinter groups, including Islamic State West Africa Province.
In an overnight attack, unidentified terrorists killed at least 18 soldiers and torched vehicles at a base in Benisheikh, about 75 kilometres from Borno state capital Maiduguri, an intelligence source told AFP.
“Unfortunately, the brigade commander, Brigadier General O.O. Braimah, lost his life,” Kaga Local Government Chairman Zannah Lawan Ajimi told AFP in a phone interview.
Two intelligence sources confirmed Braimah’s death to AFP.
His death follows the killing of Brigadier General Musa Uba by ISWAP in November. He was the highest-ranking military official to die in the long-running conflict since 2021.
“They overran the brigade,” one of the intelligence sources said, giving the death toll as “at least” 18.
The second intelligence source said that “the terrorists killed several troops” and “burnt vehicles and buildings before they withdrew,” without giving a toll.
The army and Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
– Rising terrorist violence –
Researchers have warned of an uptick of violence since 2025.
Borno capital Maiduguri has seen two suicide bombings since December — the type of bloody, urban attacks reminiscent of the insurgency’s peak a decade ago.
On Wednesday, the US State Department said in a notice it was authorising “non-emergency US government employees” to leave Abuja “due to the deteriorating security situation”.
While the insurgency is concentrated in the northeastern countryside, terrorists from Nigeria and the neighbouring Sahel have made inroads western Nigeria, where organised crime gangs known as “bandits” have been raiding villages and extorting farmers and artisanal miners for years.
Gunmen killed at least 90 people across several remote villages in northwest Nigeria this week, according to an AFP tally of tolls given by local and humanitarian sources.
Among the attacks was an assault in Kebbi state that police blamed a local terrorist group known as Mahmuda, which is affiliated with Al-Qaeda.
Kebbi sits on Nigeria’s border with Benin and Niger and since 2025 has been targeted by a rising number of terrorist attacks.
Conflict monitor ACLED says there has been a surge in violence in the area carried out by militants affiliated with Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group.
In nearby Kwara state, in October, fighters from the Al-Qaeda-affiliated JNIM claimed an attack after years of researchers warning that the terrorist conflict ravaging the Sahel risked spreading south towards coastal West African states.
In December, the United States, with Nigerian assistance, bombed northwest Sokoto state, targeting Islamic State Sahel Province fighters usually found in neighbouring Niger, along with Mali and Burkina Faso.
AFP
