Artists at Olumo Rock champion wastes-to-wealth ideas
At a distance, you will think it is just a body of igneous rocks, but after a careful study of the environment and, more importantly, after you take your time to climb it, you will realise the role it has played in the establishment of the ancient town of Abeokuta, the most prominent town in Egbaland. That is Olumo Rock, the number one tourist destination in Ogun State.
History has it that the founding fathers of Egbaland moved to the present day Abeokuta at about 1830 from Orile Itoko as a result of the incessant wars between them and the Oyo Mesi. On arrival, they settled on the western side of the Olumo Rock, which effectively provided the much needed protection for them in times of tribulations.
Up till the present day, there are conspicuous signs and relics that indicate the kind of activities that took place at different locations on the rock. The environment of the rock has been modernised as you can now find a museum, shopping mall and an elevator to carry tourists to its peak which is about 137 metres above the sea level.
The latest innovation you will find at Olumo Rock Museum is that artists who display their artworks have taken their originality to the next level. Banji Oyedeji, the curator at the museum, told us the folklores around some artworks and the materials from which some of them were made when BusinessDay Research team visited recently.
Salisu M., an artist whose works are among those on display at the Olumo Rock Museum, exhibits rare ingenuity. He exceptionally recycles pure water sachets, plastics and cans to produce superb artworks that will be treasured anywhere in the world. “The message we are trying to pass across is that in wastes lies wealth,” said Banji Oyedeji. In fact, some artworks made from recycled materials are in honour of prominent sons of Ogun State. There are others that were made through a perfect combination of recycled plastics and pure water sachets. We have the Angels ‘visit, Fulani cattle rearer, Kaakaki and Lenu ise (At work).
The significance of those works is that the artists have called our attention to another way we can turn environmental wastes to wealth. At this juncture, I would like to suggest some few things the Ogun State government can do through the Ministry of Education which can assist in spreading this idea of wastes to wealth.
In order to make more people embrace the idea being propagated by Salisu et al, there should be a symposium for fine art teachers in secondary schools that are owned by the state government where the artist(s) involved will serve as facilitator(s) to orientate his colleagues about his idea. The teachers will be expected to go back to their various schools and teach their students. Some of these students in no distant future will come out with even better ways to convert wastes to wealth in the artistic way.
The management of the museum should give more publicity to those artworks. They should partner with prominent hotels and resorts in the state and beyond in order to use a section of their arrival halls for display of their products. Apart from that, they should have an interactive website where prospective tourists can get to book in advance.
The state government should specifically showcase the artworks made from recycled materials at Olumo museum to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). It is a body that promotes eco-friendly activities and we expect it would find the ideas being propagated by Salisu et al as aligning with its mission.
UNEP as a body has been at the forefront of the campaign to protect the earth and this explains the reason why the artists that are championing waste-to-wealth ideas need UNEP attention and encouragement. Environmental wastes when properly managed could generate a lot of employment opportunities; provide raw materials regularly to firms that engage in conversion of waste to usable products just as it will enhance the income-generating capacity of government through taxes. The Lagos State waste management programme through the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) is a very good example.
Sule is a research economist with BusinessDay Research and Intelligence Unit.
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